The First Mission
by Glor
Summary: PostHBP AU with DH elements. While Harry intends to start search for the remaining Horcruxes on his own, expected and unexpected allies plan to help. What will happen when a certain strange Ravenclaw is involved? Minor implied crossovers and many OCs.
1. Prologue: The D Night

**Disclaimer**: The canon characters belong solely to J. K. Rowling. Some situations and quotes belong to my favorite HP fanfiction author **michelle-31a**. This story also contains minor crossovers with the latest series of Dmitri Yemets. References to borrowed places are put in author notes. I don't own any characters except for OC. No money is being made and no copyright infringement intended.

_Dedicated to **michelle-31a** for inspiration and support._

**THE FIRST MISSION  
**

**Prologue: The D-Night**

The Hogwarts grounds were almost completely deserted, since it was rather late in the evening. Yet it would take a vigilant person to notice two strange figures observing the castle from the shadows. One of them belonged to a girl with waist-length blonde hair, dressed in Hogwarts school robes. The other figure attracted less attention because this person was wearing a long grey cloak and the face was almost completely hidden by the hood.

The two were silently looking at the castle for a rather long time, until the person in cloak spoke.

"It will happen tonight."

The voice with slight accent belonged to a man and was calm, but there was a strange air of finality in it.

The girl didn't shift her unblinking gaze from the Astronomy Tower as she replied, "Are you sure there's nothing we can do?"

The man sighed. "We both know it, though I wish we didn't. The Hade's lists can't be altered. Even I can do nothing and it makes me wish I'd never received that secret memo number twenty-seven..." There was a discernable bitterness in his voice now.

The girl finally broke her stare and turned to face her companion.

"Are you going to give me any instructions?" Her voice was now more dreamy than worried.

"All in due time, Celesta," the man said. "Right now you should just act as you feel right. And I suggest you to move inside lest someone sees you here."

The girl he called Celesta stared at him for several seconds. Her protuberant silvery eyes gave her a permanently surprised look, which she clearly wasn't.

"Well then, I'll go now," she said dreamily then observed the man from head to heels and added, "Your cloak is getting dirty."

The man was only head or so taller than her, so it wasn't surprising that overly long cloak dragged after him. Without turning, the man waved with his hand and the cloak immediately became few inches shorter and a bit cleaner.

"You shouldn't abuse these powers, you know," Celesta said serenely.

"Who should be speaking? Wasn't it you who single-handedly fried a dozen of Acromantulas not to mention several Death Eaters?" the man asked in what seemed to be a mock indignation.

"I had good reasons for it," the girl replied calmly while observing strange khaki color streaks all over the cloak.

The man sighed again. "It seems I've got used to having these powers... But I shall try to do without them. You're essentially right: we shouldn't use them as much as possible lest someone sees. When in Rome, do as Romans do."

"I have never been to Rome," Celesta said wistfully. "I've always wanted to visit Vatican..."

The man made a coughing sound suggesting that he was restraining laughter.

"For all I know, wizards and witches aren't allowed in there," he said at last.

"Well, that's rather rude, I think­ –" she didn't finish the sentence and suddenly ducked. The man remained where he was and watched another two figures emerging from the school gates. One of them was very tall and thin and had long silvery beard; the other figure seemed transparent to the man and was surrounded by a faint silvery glow. Upon closer inspection, it belonged to the student with messy dark hair. Not noticing them, the two left in the direction of Hogsmeade.

"All right, here they go," the man whispered. "And we should be on our ways as well."

Celesta started walking towards the castle when her companion stopped her.

"Celesta! Are you not forgetting something?"

"What?" She looked at him, unfazed. Then her face lit with realization. "Ah, yes, of course."

She extracted her wand from behind her ear where it was tucked for safekeeping and tapped her forehead with the tip, muttering: "_Tarnungis schattinus_".

Next moment, her features became vaguely visible in the fading light. She made few more steps towards the school before dissolving in the shadows.

The man nodded approvingly. At least, the months spent to teach the girl this spell weren't wasted... He looked at the towers for a few more seconds then turned away.

"Good luck, Celesta," he whispered before walking off in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Well, even though the cloak was shortened, for an accidental observer it would still seem that he rather glided than walked...


	2. Chapter 1: A Long Day

**Chapter 1: A Long Day**

The blonde girl was sitting at the bank of the lake, never taking her eyes off the reflection of fading stars at the lake surface, as the new day was slowly dawning. She sat quietly, listening to the distant songs of early birds until she heard the familiar soft steps behind. She didn't move from her spot as the faintly visible figure of man in long cloak sat down at her side.

"Celesta, we need to talk," the man said softly.

The girl finally turned to him with a sad look in her eyes.

"I thought I may find you here," the man continued uncertainly. "This secluded place is good for thinking, but it is time."

Celesta swallowed hard.

"It's so sad. I'm really sorry for Dumbledore."

"Me too. But, thinking over it, the death is terrible only for those who have done too much evil, or have betrayed their souls. Like Riddle. Like Pettigrew. Like Snape. The rest will go on to the Eden Spheres..." He paused, momentarily lost in his thoughts. When he continued, his tone became serious.

"Now we must speak of the situation. With Dumbledore departed, there are a few things left that require emergency action. First of all you need to get the whole core of the D.A. to Harry's side to assist him. I know, he is planning to go after Riddle on his own but he has nearly no chance of success like that. Use the Vow Spell if necessary. I assume you'll get the fuller picture from Harry and I just give you a few tips. One of them concerns the matter of the mysterious R.A.B. –"

Celesta quickly looked up at her almost invisible companion.

"R.A.B.? Is this some kind of society or –"

"R.A.B. is the initials of Regulus Arcturus Black, younger brother of late Sirius Black. I figured it out on my own and there are nine chances of ten that it is correct. Don't forget to let Harry know when he brings it up."

"Okay," Celesta continued staring at him. The man shifted slightly.

"Another thing you need to know is that Dumbledore's ancient magic at Privet Drive has weakened after his death. It hasn't lifted completely yet, but I have already detected noticeable instabilities of the shield. I assume Harry might not need to spend a full-time till his birthday at his Muggle relatives' place. One month may be sufficient."

The blonde smiled at her companion. "He'd love to hear that."

"I'm sure," he snorted then became serious again. "It may be vital that you relay this information to him soon. I have no idea when the Death Eaters will try to attack and capture him, but Little Whinging isn't the safe place it used to be any more. I'll try to arrange the removal of Arabella Figg from there. Snape knew she was in the Order and will likely inform Riddle. In the meantime, you also need to make sure that Harry will finally be able to protect his mind in any way. Snape's flight has arisen a great threat that he or Riddle might try to hack it and extract the information of strategic importance."

Celesta tilted her head slightly to one side; the expression on her face as dreamy as if she wasn't just assigned a complicated task. "So I need to teach him Occlumency?"

"Hermione can do it for you," the man said. Though the girl couldn't exactly see his face under the enchanted hood, she could swear that the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

She waited for him to go on, however her companion paused, thinking about something. Silence settled, interrupted only by a distant chirping, yet it wasn't uncomfortable for either of the two. Finally the man snapped out of his reverie, slightly turning his hooded head.

"Now," he fidgeted. "I'm not entirely sure if I should be telling you this but as the proverb says –"

"Better safe than sorry," Celesta chimed in.

"Well, yes," he said in a slightly embarrassed tone. "There's a little chance you'll need it... But I shall tell you anyway. This is about how to tap into the communications of the Order of the Phoenix."

Celesta shook her head, her huge silvery eyes glinting reproachfully. "It's not polite to eavesdrop on other people, you know."

"Of course I know. But there is a possibility that you may need to know what's going on and I would be unavailable. I certainly don't want you to do it except for the situation of great need. Now, you're familiar with the Patronus Charm." This was a statement rather than a question.

Celesta nodded as the man continued the explanation.

"Very well. In order to intercept messages you'll need to cast your Patronus then order it to make contact with its fellow Patronus unit carrying the message. When it comes back to you, you'll be able to extract the message's copy. It's pretty simple. Of course, this technique will not allow you to send your own messages since members of the Order know all of their unique Patroni."

"They can change, though," the girl noticed.

"Still, do not even try to pull it off," the man said sternly. "If they discover that someone else has been using a Patronus to communicate, there will be a lot of uncomfortable questions."

By that time a few remaining stars faded as the summer sun was about to rise. The birds' chirping became louder and then the two heard a distant 'clip-clop' sound coming from the direction of the castle.

They didn't bother to move from their respective spots and soon enough, centaur Firenze came that way. Celesta turned to him with a vague smile on her face.

"Good morning, Professor Firenze," she welcomed him dreamily.

The centaur stopped in his tracks and looked down at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.

"What are you doing here, child of Light?" he asked at last.

"Stargazing," she pointed unnecessarily at the lake surface. The stars had all gone out by that time, only Jupiter was still seen.

"Jupiter is very bright this morning..." the centaur announced, looking up at a morning sky.

Celesta simply continued staring at the lake surface where Jupiter was clearly visible.

"Jupiter means power," she said in a distant voice.

"Yes. A great power has left this world and even greater power has come instead," Firenze unexpectedly elaborated. Then his gaze shifted slightly towards the spot where the invisible man was quietly sitting. For a few seconds his eyes lingered at it then turned to the east, as the first sunrays traveled down the castle towers and lighted the grounds.

The centaur bowed slightly and cast one final look at the girl, though this time there was a barest trace of a smile on his calm face.

"Be on your way, child of Light," he said. With it, he left, clip-clopping sound slowly fading.

Celesta's companion, now completely unseen in the bright sunlight, sighed.

"He's right. Go back to the castle and try to have some sleep. This is going to be a long day for us."

"We'll manage. I know it," the girl replied confidently.

"I know it too," he said. Celesta thought he might have actually smiled now.

"You'll manage, eaglie," he finished with a mysterious note in his voice...

* * *

The funeral was over and the crowd had almost dispersed, and Harry Potter was standing under a beech tree with Ron and Hermione at his side. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mind off Horcruxes, his fingers still clutching the fake one in his pocket. Dumbledore's white marble tomb in plain sight didn't make it any easier.

Turning away from it, he noticed Ron's hand on Hermione's shoulder and inwardly smiled. At least they were able to overcome the feeling of grief and dread and enjoy themselves on their possibly very last day at Hogwarts...

Deciding to give them a bit of privacy, he muttered an excuse that he needed some time for himself and walked off towards the lake, eventually coming across the same place where he sat last year after the death of Sirius. The unwanted thought of his godfather launched the chain reaction of self-accusation in his head, forcing him to sit down to clear his mind.

He knew, this time there was no way he could prevent what had occurred at the top of the Astronomy Tower. If only Dumbledore had listened to him and caught Malfoy in the Room of Requirement instead of relying on his defenses, if only he didn't have that irrational trust in Snape...

He snapped out of his painful thoughts when he heard footsteps right behind him. Harry whirled at a spot and to his surprise saw Luna Lovegood with an uncharacteristically earnest expression on her face.

"Hello, Harry," she said serenely. He noticed that serene her voice might be, it was devoid of any dreaminess and detachment usually so prevalent in her.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" he asked. Somehow he was certain that she went back to the castle right after the funeral to collect some of her still missing belongings. Maybe she decided to take a last walk around her favorite places...

"Looking for you," she answered, straightforward as usual.

"For me? Why?" he asked cautiously, having an unpleasant sensation that it had something to do with the latest events.

She stared right into his eyes, making him back away from her a little.

"Harry," she began seriously. "You can't go after Voldemort on your own."

Harry felt as if somebody poured a bucket of cold water on his head. How on the earth she knew his plans?

"What? What are you talking about?" he stammered.

"Well, it's pretty obvious," she explained. "After what has happened, knowing you, it would be simple to guess that you would go after him and try to prevent anybody from helping you, lest they get hurt too."

Harry grinded his teeth, remembering what Hermione said about his 'saving-people thing'. Was it really THAT obvious for the others? He hoped it wasn't.

"Look," he forced out. "You have absolutely no idea what is really going on. And it's better to remain this way, the less people involved, the safer for the others."

His words didn't seem to convince Luna.

"I think that unless you tell someone, everything will be for naught if you should fail."

He briefly wondered if she was referring to the Prophecy... But no, she couldn't have known...

"Well, suppose I told Ron and Hermione, they know what to do. I don't want anyone else involved!" he snapped, his temper rising.

"It is good to confide in people whom you fully trust," Luna nodded sagely. "However you may still need an extra helping hand if it comes to confrontation."

Harry looked at her, nonplussed. Luna wasn't the best dueler in the D.A. and fortunately didn't get to test her skills in the recent battle. If Harry had to choose someone to help him in a fight he would most certainly select Neville, not that he planned to invite him on a Horcrux hunt. Loyal and brave Neville might be, he didn't want to put his life at risk once again.

Considering all these things, Harry decided that accepting Luna's help was out of question. Just as he opened his mouth to decline Luna spoke again.

"We fought them already in the Ministry, if you remember," she said quietly, looking away from him for the first time.

This statement triggered Harry's memory as he remembered the details of the battle in the Department of Mysteries. He remembered that Luna had suffered the least harm then, she was only stunned by Bellatrix Lestrange... And she also managed to save lives of Ron and Ginny!

He felt uneasy because Luna sounded hurt, and he didn't mean to offend her. Yet he had no intention of endangering his Ravenclaw friend. Darn it, how could he tell her about Horcruxes anyway?

"Luna," he began carefully as she faced him again, "I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I just can't allow anyone else to join me. You see, apart from taking a great risk, there are some things involved which mustn't reach the ears of wrong people. Dumbledore only allowed me to tell Ron and Hermione and now..." he trailed off.

Luna shook her head slightly. "Dumbledore would have approved if you accepted help of people you trust in order to defeat Voldemort sooner. As for confidentiality, you may have my word of honor. If it isn't enough you may even ask for an Unbreakable Vow. I would readily make it."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know how to do it?" he asked incredulously.

Luna smiled. "I have read an interesting old book a few days ago. Among other things, it contained these spells."

Harry was running out of excuses now. He tried to make one more attempt.

"But I –"

Luna cut him off. "I don't ask you to make a decision right now. But I would really advise you to give it some thinking."

With these words she suddenly left, leaving confused and worried Harry behind.

When he came back to the beech tree, Ron and Hermione were still sitting there, chatting of something he didn't quite hear, possibly Bill and Fleur's wedding, because he caught Ron's mention of his mother.

Noticing him, Ron got to his feet, Hermione following suit.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern. "Loony – er, Luna passed by and said she needed to find you."

"She already did," Harry sighed, exasperated.

"What did she want?" Hermione looked interested.

"The same," Harry replied offhandedly. Ron and Hermione goggled at him.

"I mean, she wanted to join me on this quest, too," he inquired, remembering his talk with Scrimgeour.

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks.

"But how did she know what you're up to?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

"Figured out on her own. At least she claimed so. It seems she has deduced from my 'saving-people thing' that I'd try to hunt down Voldemort and offered me help in battle, saying she'd even make an Unbreakable Vow if I confide in her," he said grudgingly.

"Well, I think you can trust her, Harry," Hermione began, catching him off guard. "After all, you can just ask her to keep everything secret and leave it to her to decide whether to join us or not."

Harry thought privately that Luna would want to join them regardless but before he could voice his objections, Ron nodded.

"Yep. I hope she comes along. She might be out of her head sometimes but she's got Ginny and me away from Death Eaters in the Ministry. Bloody hell, Neville's good in battle too. I saw how he put up quite a fight before they hit him with Cruciatus..." he stopped short, noticing the look on Harry's face.

Harry was about to explode. It was quite rare when both Ron and Hermione disagreed with him and this time it felt almost like a stab in the back. Did they not understand at all? He thought he could live with the two of them following him to the end of the earth, but the idea of someone else risking his life because of him nearly set off his accidental magic as a dead branch at his feet suddenly caught fire.

Understanding that Harry was few seconds away from releasing his temper at them, Hermione quickly interfered. "We'd better go to the castle, the Hogwarts Express won't be waiting for us."

* * *

Harry was sharing the compartment with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna, still trying to think over what Luna had said to him at the lake.

After cooling down, he had to admit that while dueling skills of ex-D.A. members, particularly Neville, Ginny and Luna, were not sufficient for actual dogfighting with Death Eaters, they still weren't low enough to reject their help solely because of that. Not really surprising, since he taught them himself for several months...

He looked around the compartment.

Ron and Hermione were arguing about Bill and Fleur, Ron pointing out that for once, he was right all along, and Hermione retaliating that still, Tonks was more intelligent than Fleur and that love, unfortunately, defied any logical explanation after all.

Ginny was making her input every now and then and at another time she read the latest issue of _The Quibbler_ with Luna, giggling at some article. Strange, but Luna didn't try to shut her up for laughing at her father's magazine.

Neville previously tried to start a conversation with Harry but withdrew when Harry told him that he really needed to think, and was currently discussing the attack at Hogwarts with Ginny, which distracted Harry even more.

Luna was sitting in the corner all the time, currently doing a crossword in _The Quibbler_, her wand tucked behind her ear and her butterbeer cork necklace in its place. Which reminded him...

"Luna? Have you got all of your things back?" he asked quietly.

She looked up at him, her wand now pointing at his eye.

"Oh, yes, I've found an easier way of getting them back. I discovered that I could just use the Room of Requirement to find anything ever lost at Hogwarts..." she started enthusiastically, putting down her magazine. Now Harry noticed the picture of Stan Shunpike on the front cover, captioned:

_**Stanley Shunpike – Ministry's New Scapegoat**_

"Hang on," he exclaimed. "Your father has printed the article about Stan's innocence?"

Everyone in the compartment turned to him.

Ginny giggled. "I gave Luna an interview few weeks ago, just to have a distraction from the O.W.L.s. It turned out even better than I expected."

Ron and Hermione gaped at her.

"What? And you didn't tell us?"

"Well, I almost forgot about it until Luna gave me a magazine to read," Ginny apologized.

"Actually, it was printed a couple of weeks ago," Luna noticed. "But since I had to study for my O.W.L.s too, I had to put it aside for a while. Daddy had to pull some strings to get the first-hand information about Stan's arrest and Ginny's interview helped him with the article."

Harry flicked through the pages. The article in question contained a load of criticism addressed to the Ministry, such as futile methods of finding real Death Eaters and sending innocent people into Azkaban without a trial, the case of Sirius Black clearly read between the lines. It was concluded by the statement that the information was provided by "_the source close to Harry Potter_".

Harry couldn't help smirking, having imagined Scrimgeour's face when he saw it. He was even surprised how the Ministry allowed it to be published but then, it wasn't the Daily Prophet...

"So what is being planned for the next month?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Well, Daddy is certainly going to put an article regarding Dumbledore's funeral," Luna said. "There is also information about Hellcat sighting in Scotland..."

Hermione snorted. Ginny shot her a warning look.

"Eh? What's a Hellcat?" Neville scratched the back of his head. Hermione rolled her eyes but refrained from comments.

"Well, these are creatures of the Underworld and they are known for their ferocity and the ability to fly..." Luna began to explain.

Hermione pointedly turned aside and Harry tried to go back to his thoughts.

"...and there haven't been any sightings since the fifteenth century," Luna finished several minutes later.

Neville's eyes were now almost as huge as hers while Ginny was doing her best to hold giggles.

Harry just shook his head. Luna definitely didn't intend to bring up her suggestion until he made up his mind.

He thought hard about it. Basically, he didn't want anyone to come with him. However Ron and Hermione made it crystal clear that they just would not let him to venture on the Horcrux search without them. Then Luna asked for joining, and both of them thought they could trust her with the knowledge of the Horcruxes.

Recalling his talk with her, he actually considered the option of filling her in under the Unbreakable Vow and request to stay away from all of that, though it would hardly work. _Just where did she dig out this particular spell, anyway?_

Still, it brought up a new problem. He glanced at Ginny as she tried to delicately tell Neville that Hellcats didn't exist without getting in argument with Luna.

How was he supposed to speak with Luna in their presence? Well, Ron let it slip that he wanted Neville at their side too, so maybe he could trust him, effectively involving in their search, but Ginny...

He inwardly groaned. She was certainly good at hexes, but informing her of their plans was virtually equal of letting her to join, and there was absolutely no way he could afford it.

He helplessly looked at Ron, pointing with his eyes at Ginny and then at the compartment door. Ron frowned as he turned to her.

"Uh, Ginny, I think you'd better go outside for five minutes..."

Harry rolled his eyes. _Just great_. Leave it to Ron to be blunt when they needed it least...

Ginny glared at him.

"Are you saying you're going to discuss something important and don't want me here?" she hissed dangerously. "Just don't tell me you lot trust Luna and Neville more than me!"

Harry got a grip on himself. This wasn't going to be easy. He stood up as Luna and Neville looked at them quizzically. Hermione glanced at him nervously.

"Look," he interfered, trying to remain calm. "We are going to speak about some things that only Dumbledore had known, and I'm not even supposed to do it, so we have to ask for an Unbreakable Vow before telling anything."

Before he could continue, Ginny interrupted him. "Excellent, tell me how to perform it, and I'll –"

"No, if we tell you, you'll want to go with us, and we can't let –"

"No way!" Ginny exclaimed angrily. "If you're telling Luna, you're telling me! She'll tell me later anyway!"

"Oh, I don't know..." Luna shook her head in doubt. "Unbreakable Vow isn't a spell to trifle with. Not to mention that it would be a breach of an oath."

Ron opened his mouth to support Harry, however Ginny didn't give him a chance.

"I can't believe you, Harry! After what you said to me, I thought you trust me!" she looked really furious now. "And here you go and try to shelter me like Dumbledore did with you the last year!"

She actually managed to hit the nerve this time. Harry opened his mouth for an angry retort; however, Hermione finally lost her patience and extinguished the escalating conflict with the Silencing Charm.

"Now, hear me, both of you!" she glared at Ron, who wanted to say something. "Harry, we'll have to fill Ginny in, too..." Harry shook his head vigorously.

"You can't really force her to stay behind if she wants to help," Hermione explained in apologizing tone. "And Ginny, you'll have to promise additionally that you won't do anything rash." Ginny reluctantly nodded, and Hermione lifted the charm.

Harry sighed. Stubbornness was obviously a Weasley family trait. Unfortunately, right then he was in no position to argue, too little time. A few hours till they got to London weren't enough to out-argue her...

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed. "But you'll have to promise not to take any risks."

Ginny opened her mouth, ready to argue again, however this time it was Neville who interfered.

"Um, maybe we get to the point?" he asked tentatively, sounding a bit annoyed.

Harry took a breath. "Fine. I want you to swear not to speak of what you'll hear in front of anyone else, at least until Voldemort is defeated."

"But how do we make this Unbreakable Vow?" Neville asked.

"I read an old book on this subject a few days ago," Luna spoke. "Actually, there are two variations of this charm."

Hermione looked at her in surprise. "Luna, where did you get this book? Do you still have it?"

The blonde shrugged vaguely. "Well, I was using the Room of Requirement recently, to find my missing textbook, and there were quite a lot of lost books. I even stumbled across an almost new _Advanced Potion-Making_ there..."

Harry swallowed hard.

"...this book, however, looked really old so I thought it might belong to school library and took it, but it didn't. And yes, it was interesting to read, so I kept it," she reached for her trunk and extracted a dog-eared black book with most of its pages missing and flicked through it.

"Here it is," she pointed at one of the few remaining pages. "The classic version requires the presence of the third party, the Bonder, and the arcane version works well without it. It also says that for arcane version, the caster should clearly state the oath and then say the incantation written below, _Infernalis veritimens_." (1)

"Well, before we use it, I think we need some extra privacy," Hermione said.

"That's right, you may cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door," Harry replied. Hermione complied, and then raised her wand again.

"_Accio bugs!_"

The others looked at her in surprise as the spell summoned a few flies and a bee. Hermione relaxed slightly. "I just wanted to make sure Rita Skeeter isn't eavesdropping on us again," she explained.

Neville and Ginny looked puzzled. Luna, however, was unperturbed as ever. "She's an Animagus, then?"

"An unregistered one, yes," Hermione nodded.

Harry was relieved that Rita wasn't here, yet he decided to tighten their privacy with the Muffliato spell. At least one of Snape's spells could be used for good, he thought.

At last, it came to making the Unbreakable Vow. Luna was the first as she raised her wand and spoke in what seemed to be the most serious tone she could muster. "I solemnly swear..."

_That I'm up to no good_, Harry nearly said aloud.

"...not to speak of what I'll hear in front of anyone who doesn't know it already, until Voldemort is defeated," she finished. "_Infernalis veritimens!_"

Her wand instantly produced a green fireball, sickeningly reminding Harry of Avada Kedavra curse. The fireball floated in front of Luna's face for a couple of seconds then vanished, but Harry was somehow sure that should the Vow be broken, it would instantly reappear to incinerate the betrayer.

Neville and Ginny made the Unbreakable Vow the same way before turning to Harry. He coughed, then started from the very beginning. "Well, first of all, you need to know that the glass ball we fought over in the Department of Mysteries wasn't the only record of the Prophecy..."

* * *

Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour was fuming. After the Death Eaters' attack at Hogwarts school, which resulted in death of Albus Dumbledore, one would think that Harry Potter finally stops opposing the Ministry and would be more willing to cooperate, but no, he was as stubborn as the last time on Christmas. And the Potter brat even had the nerve to badger him about that worthless blockhead Stan Shunpike!

The information about Stan's innocence had already leaked to reporters of _The Quibbler_ tabloid and they took advantage of it, publishing a biting article in their June issue. Rita Skeeter was no better, having returned from her inexplicable year's vacation, and badmouthing the Ministry to the fullest extent. He could already imagine her next article concerning Dumbledore's funeral. Of course, it's got to be Ministry's fault that the serious breach of security occurred in the school they had no control of after the Dark Lord's return was announced.

To top it all, just as Scrimgeour had thought the last thing he needed was even more trouble to handle, his Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge informed him that the Head of the Department of Mysteries requested a private audience with the Minister.

Scrimgeour rubbed his temples. The night Albus Dumbledore was killed, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had detected the major magical explosion in an uninhabited part of Wizarding Britain, hundred miles southeast from Hogwarts. The Department failed to identify the exact type of used magic though the dispatched squad of Aurors checked that location, finding, to their surprise, that no actual damage took place.

The door to his office opened as the invited person drifted in. The Head of the Department of Mysteries was a thin man with sallow face and silvery-blue eyes. The look in his eyes suggested that he wasn't entirely there and he didn't seem to blink as much as ordinary men. He sat down in the chair opposite to the Minister and stared at him.

"What did you want to tell me?" Scrimgeour asked impatiently.

"Minister Scrimgeour," the Unspeakable spoke in deep grave voice, "As you're aware, we were looking into the recent incident, trying to figure out what exactly had taken place. It was a difficult task after the terrible damage our Department had sustained last year, however we have found a reference in our archives related to the ancient Arcane magic. We fear that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named possibly used it to set some kind of an experiment in a deserted area."

Scrimgeour felt an unpleasant sensation in his stomach. _As if the attack at Hogwarts wasn't enough..._

"We can possibly find out the exact nature of this experiment if we send in a team of specialists," the Head of the Department of Mysteries continued.

"Very well," the Minister interfered. "Send all you need. I'll order a few Aurors to stand guard over the place. Since I may not be available you'll be reporting of any progress to my Junior Assistant Percy Weasley. I hope your investigation takes little time."

The Unspeakable nodded. "My Deputy will see to it."

* * *

A/N: I have every intention of going on with this story. There's quite more to come!

Reviews are welcome! Constructive criticism is appreciated, this is my first English fic after all.

(1) Not exactly mine, this is a free Latin translation of the Oath spell by Dmitri Yemets. For that matter, the disguise spell from previous chapter happened to be German, not Latin.


	3. Chapter 2: Discoveries and Memories

**Additional disclaimer**: The plot with the Baron is based on the story of **Gileonnen**. The plot with Dumbledore's family (sniff) is borrowed from the book of Dmitri Yemets. Please, don't flame me for angst.

**Chapter 2:** **Discoveries and Memories**

"Well, well, if it isn't pervy Percy," a sneering voice came from behind.

Percy Weasley turned back and to his shock saw his brothers Fred and George with menacing looks on their faces.

"Too right, Forge," the second twin replied. "That's our prat of a brother, Fudge's ass-kisser, now switched to Scrimgeour's..."

Percy's shock at the sudden appearance of his brothers changed with indignation.

"What are you two doing here? This is a restricted area, you aren't supposed to –"

"Riiight, cowering behind rules and regulations, filthy filchy coward," Fred (or George) muttered, pointing with his wand at Percy. "Afraid to even admit his own mistakes, my eye!"

"Besides that," his twin added in disgust, "he was so afraid of being associated with anyone standing for Dumbledore, that he dumped his girlfriend Penny Clearwater only because she didn't support the Ministry when it came to ridiculing Dumbledore and Harry, and he hasn't talked to her since."

"Poor girl! What did she see in him anyway?" The first twin replied, sympathy clear in his voice. "Ravenclaws are supposed to be brainy, why didn't she see him for what he was, pompous, bossy bighead with rules instead of opinion?"

Percy reached for his own wand, however it was missing. His brothers glared at him simultaneously.

"Anything to say, dung-head? Any excuses for leaving us?"

Percy always hated to have to justify his actions to the others, and thus he made a point to follow all the rules enforced by the seniors... But he never for a moment could imagine that one day he would have to justify himself to the detention champions Fred and George, who evidently made it a goal of their lives to defy any rules!

He opened his mouth but under the accusing glare of the Twins all words suddenly left him. He was anxiously trying to come up with something that could show his actions in good light, though he could try to revive Dumbledore with the same success.

"Do you know what Mum and Dad said?" One of the twins continued mercilessly. "They have agreed that you are unworthy of being a Weasley and a Gryffindor. We have given you a chance to admit your mistake and apologize before and you didn't take it, so now you won't have it any more!"

The other twin raised his wand and altered Percy's hair from Weasley red to Malfoy blond.

"NO!"

Percy woke up, sweating like he had been on the run. It was just a nightmare. _Another_ nightmare.

He sat up and conjured a small mirror to check the color of his hair. It was still red. He breathed deeply.

These nightmares of his siblings disowning him had started after the return of Lord Voldemort was announced in the Daily Prophet, and probably were a deserved retribution for leaving his family. Indeed, he might have made a mistake by too zealous support of the Minister and then made it worse by not coming back in time, but to admit his errors now was unthinkable.

True, when Cornelius Fudge had declared that Dumbledore was trying to destabilize the situation and that Harry Potter was in fact an attention-seeking crackpot, he never for a moment doubted that the Minister of Magic was doing the best for the wizarding society and that Dumbledore and Potter were virtually the enemies of the Ministry's control. So it came as a shock when everyone else in his family, including his parents, had supported the 'Dumbledore's crowd'. His attempts to persuade them how obviously stupid Dumbledore's declarations about Voldemort's return were had only caused a shouting match with his father with a consequent rift, forcing him to leave the Burrow. Still under the influence of the row, he didn't even talk to his mother when she visited him in London, obviously to press her point of view on him.

When he heard that Ron was made a Prefect, he had let himself hope that possibly his youngest brother was able to think for himself instead of relying on their parents' opinion, and sent him a letter, urging him to stay away from Potter and support the Ministry for his own good. He never received a reply but what he heard later in Fudge's office implied that even Ron was blinded by an old friendship and opposed the Ministry's High Inquisitor.

On Christmas, when mother had sent him a traditional Weasley jumper, he interpreted it as a veiled attempt of reconciliation on their terms, so accepting it would also symbolize for him an indirect accepting of her views. There was no way he could do it, so he had to send the jumper back, although his conscience was a bit uneasy about it.

When High Inquisitor Umbridge had discovered an illegal society of students at Hogwarts, he had urgently arrived at school along with the Minister and his Auror bodyguards. Just as he had expected, Potter was in the middle of it. He could only hope that Ron and Ginny were not involved for it would mean an expulsion for them otherwise, guaranteed by the Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. He wasn't surprised when Dumbledore started to defend Potter but was quite pleased when the Headmaster finally confessed of his attempt to overthrow the Minister Fudge. As he ran to the Owlery he was thinking happily that soon his parents would know the truth; the fact of Dumbledore's incarceration just had to open their eyes. Unfortunately Dumbledore had somehow managed to escape from the Minister himself, Dolores Umbridge and two qualified Aurors, so the _Daily Prophet_ had to print an amendment to the hot off the press article which mistakenly claimed that Dumbledore was arrested. To his surprise and disappointment, even after the release of the article his father shown no indication of changing his mind when they briefly (and accidentally) met in the Ministry of Magic.

Then it came... The battle in the Department of Mysteries revealed the horrible truth of the Dark Lord's return and the fatal mistake done by the Minister. The consequent revolt of Dementors had only confirmed it. Fudge's public admission had first caused a shock in the Wizarding community which quickly changed to mass discontent and furious demands of his removal.

Although Percy himself, like most of the others, kept his position after the replacement of Fudge with Scrimgeour, it hardly pleased him when he thought of his family being at the right side all along and of himself as a kind of loser.

He couldn't bring himself to rejoin the family and tolerate everything they were bound to tell him, particularly mentions of his choice of the wrong side, so he remained at the side of the new Minister of Magic, hoping that the Ministry's successes in the war would make it easier for him to come back to the Burrow as equal, not as a loser.

With no real progress in the war the situation didn't change until Minister Scrimgeour decided to visit the Burrow, where Harry Potter was expected to spend the Christmas holidays, and try and convince him to support the Ministry's politics. He was assigned to accompany the Minister on that trip and pretend to want to meet his family, so Scrimgeour would be able to talk with Potter one-on-one. Eventually he was almost thrown out of the house by his not so forgetful junior siblings and the persuasion attempt has unexpectedly failed, as Scrimgeour briefly admitted to him through gritted teeth...

Percy shook his head to clear it of unpleasant memories and got up.

_FLASHBACK  
_He arrived to that deserted place along with the several Aurors and a research team from the Department of Mysteries. He was supposed to supervise the Unspeakables while they examined the area with their devices, and to relay their report to the Minister, but since he had no idea what they were actually doing, he could only watch them doing their job and walk to and fro, trying to avoid getting into the way.

The examination took all day, and eventually he noticed that the Unspeakables seemed to look for something as they obviously searched the secured area from center to perimeter. However, while the sun was slowly approaching horizon, there was still no indication that the search would be finished anytime soon. At last Percy went to the superior of Unspeakables. The aged man looked vaguely familiar.

"Excuse me, Mr. –?" Percy began uncertainly.

"Mr. Croaker. And you are Mr. Weasley?" the man replied hoarsely, turning to face him.

"Yes. Mr. Croaker... Your name sounds familiar..."

"No surprise, I've met you before, young man. At the Quidditch World Cup, if I'm not mistaken. I saw you there with your family. I'm sure Arthur has mentioned me then..." Croaker said somehow enthusiastically.

Percy flinched. This wasn't the topic he wanted to discuss right now.

"Well, Mr. Croaker, what exactly are your men looking for?" he asked, before the man could go on.

Now it was Croaker's turn to flinch slightly.

"You see, Mr. Weasley, to precisely determine the type of this outburst, we need to find the zero point, I mean, the exact point where this outburst has started. Since the disturbed area is rather asymmetric, I'm afraid, it might take some time."

"How much? We have already been here for a whole day."

Croaker sighed. "The disturbed area is quite large, it might take several days..."

"Several days!" Percy exclaimed in disbelief. "But the Minister has ordered to investigate it as quickly as possible!"

Croaker gave him a long, unblinking look. "I fear this _is_ as quickly as possible, young man. We shall work in shifts day and night to speed up the search."

All the reply Percy could muster was a quick nod.

_FLASHBACK END_

Having got up, Percy walked out of one of the tents brought by Unspeakables. Two days have passed since their arrival and the Unspeakables have only managed to check one third of the whole area. Minister Scrimgeour isn't going to be pleased, he thought.

It was very early in the morning and the summer sun wasn't even rising yet. The night shift of Unspeakables was examining the area several hundred yards away and apart from them no other activity could be seen...

Suddenly one of them stopped in his tracks and waved to the others, who rapidly ran to him. Percy couldn't hear their muffled conversation but it was obvious that they have finally found the 'zero point' Croaker talked about.

Five minutes later Croaker himself was there. Percy was actually surprised how fast the old man could run. He watched Croaker performing some manipulations with his wand and one of their weird-looking devices, which produced a bright blue glow. Judging by how his shoulders have sagged, the result wasn't what he had hoped for.

Percy came closer.

"...it is as we feared," he heard Croaker saying to his co-workers.

"Mr. Croaker?" Percy said uncertainly. The old man turned to him.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley. As you have probably guessed, we have found the zero point at last," his voice was unusually grim.

"So? Do you know what has happened here?" Percy really didn't like Croaker's tone.

"Yes. We in the Department of Mysteries have suspected it almost at once but obviously hoped for the best. It took us finding the zero point to extinguish any doubts."

"And?"

"You must understand, Mr. Weasley, this is an extremely obscure magic and it hasn't been practiced for centuries. In theory, it enables a wizard to open a passage into hypothetically existing alternative Universe of some kind. In practice, however..."

Percy ceased listening. If he had been told something like that by anyone else (except the Minister of Magic), he would instantly consider it a rubbish worthy of being written in the _Quibbler_ tabloid, however Croaker was a certified expert in this field...

"So you say," he began, dreading his own words, "that You-Know-Who has tried to –"

"Open the portal into another dimension, apparently, yes."

The thought of Voldemort's disease spreading into other worlds nearly made Percy sick.

"But surely he hasn't succeeded," he said, trying to convince himself more than Unspeakables. "Otherwise shouldn't the passage still remain opened?" His voice quivered a bit.

Croaker nodded. "Most certainly."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

"Well, first, while this attempt might be unsuccessful he may yet repeat it somewhere else. This process requires an enormous amount of magical energy to distort the fabric of reality and break through interdimensional barrier but in the end all of it comes down to a mere technicality. Second, as I have said, it is extremely dangerous for anyone who happens to be nearby. And third... To be honest, there is a little probability that this particular passage was created just for a few seconds for a one-way travel. But I can't imagine why You-Know-Who would do it."

Percy thought about it. "Can't he go through the passage and reopen it to go back a mere few hours later?"

"Were you not listening, Mr. Weasley? Did you not hear what I said about practical attempts in this field?" Croaker sounded strangely amused, considering how serious the situation was.

"Er," Percy said, embarrassed. For seven years of his study at Hogwarts there wasn't a single case when he would miss something from a teacher's explanation. "I think it came as a bit of shock."

"Mildly speaking," Croaker nodded understandingly. "Well, when this type of magic was used for the last time, in fifteenth century, the invoked energies went out of control and caused disastrous consequences. The number of victims was shocking, even though it happened in the desert. In fact, only two of over a hundred wizards had lived to tell about it. That's when this magic was forever banned. Muggles still think the depression was caused by a giant meteorite..."

Percy's jaw dropped.

"...so should something like that occur here, we might not live to learn about it. But even when such experiments happened to be successful, a few people who volunteered to go through are said to have disappeared and never come back. Though this information is based more on ancient myths than on recorded facts. Anyway, back to your question, it's virtually impossible to open two portals within a short amount of time, for it takes too much energy. In addition, the time itself may flow differently in different worlds, there is no known law of fundamental magic which would forbid it."

Far from calmed, Percy nodded. "So our work here is done."

"That's right. We shall leave at eight in the morning."

Walking back to the tent, Percy was thinking of how he was going to explain all of it to the Minister, when another thought crossed his mind.

This information had to remain secret. Should the people learn what Voldemort nearly managed to perform, a panic would start at once. However, it was particularly hard to keep it secret from an exceptionally skilled sneak reporter Rita Skeeter. She had already posted several unpleasant articles that year, one of which had forced the Ministry to arrest the ex-head of the Department of Games and Sports and a compulsive gambler Ludovic Bagman (which Percy had approved, after having learned of his financial machinations). This time, they had to secure the portal research from any leaks of information. Forbidding the personnel of the Department of Mysteries to discuss it outside of their Department would be a fine measure, though not enough...

Going back to bed, Percy suddenly had another idea and pinched himself hard. It was twice as painful because he half-hoped that all of it was yet another nightmare. Uneasy with his new knowledge, Percy went back to sleep.

* * *

Harry Potter woke up. His last nightmare wasn't directly related to Voldemort but he could still see the decayed hands of hundreds of Inferi, reaching out to him...

He got up, grabbed his wand and cautiously looked out of the window. The Privet Drive was as calm as it usually was at five o'clock in the morning. Harry sighed deeply.

He spent only a few days there and was already itching to leave and go looking for Horcruxes, or at least do anything else rather than unnerving Dursleys by his mere presence. But he knew he couldn't do it. Hermione's researches were in the initial stage only, though she reported to him daily via enchanted coins. And Ron reported that Bill's wedding was scheduled for early July.

He was beginning to have second thoughts about turning down their suggestion to stay with him. The good thing was that he didn't have to waste full two months till his birthday there. Dumbledore's shield around number four, Privet Drive was supposed to fade in less than four weeks, and he already knew that their Squib neighbour Mrs. Figg intended to move from Little Whinging in a month, seeing that her presence there would soon be unnecessary.

Having no desire to go back to sleep, Harry reached for the issue of the _Daily Prophet_.

Now that Dumbledore was dead, disappearances and murders have continued at a double rate. Apparently Voldemort considered that with his most powerful enemy gone he would be able to terrorize the Wizarding (and Muggle) Britain with near impunity, although the Aurors captured several real Death Eaters who turned out recently recruited...

Harry skimmed through the article about the battle at Hogwarts by Rita Skeeter. Rita seemed to go back to her old style of criticizing just everyone, fairly and unfairly, since the article blamed the incident on the lack of Ministry's protection at Hogwarts. Harry frowned. They had a plenty of Ministry's "protection" a year ago, not that it did anyone any good.

As he turned the page to read the Ministry's version, he briefly wondered if Skeeter had any principles at all or being a successful reporter required a lack of them.

The Ministry of Magic seemed to blame the entire disaster at Hogwarts solely on Snape; at least Draco Malfoy's name wasn't mentioned in Scrimgeour's official statement.

Harry threw the paper aside. Apart from the list of Voldemort's most recent activities, it didn't contain anything remotely useful. He sat in a chair and recalled his ride back to London, just to spend time...

_FLASHBACK_  
He went on and on, briefly retelling the Prophecy he had heard in Dumbledore's office after the battle in the Department of Mysteries and the explanation of its significance. Ron and Hermione didn't learn anything particularly new, but Ginny seemed to be shocked, Neville looked awed and scared at once, and even Luna's expression changed from dreamy to serious, her silvery eyes glinting strangely.

When he paused for a moment, she interfered. "Did the Prophecy exactly state _you_ as the one to defeat Voldemort?"

Harry thought about it. The Prophecy could be applied to him or to Neville, until Voldemort made his fateful choice, but he wasn't sure that he should mention it in Neville's presence.

"It said '_the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal_', so apparently I'm the one to do it," he answered evasively. Luna nodded thoughtfully.

"And what power have you got that You-Know-Who doesn't know of?" Neville asked seriously.

Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore said it's the ability to love. But I don't quite understand how it can be used against Voldemort."

For a brief second it seemed to him that Luna's distant expression momentarily changed with calculating, but he forgot about it as he suddenly remembered what Dumbledore told him a year ago...

_Voldemort couldn't possess him without suffering great pain because he was protected by his ability to love._

Well, some use is better than none, he thought. Looking back at his friends, he continued telling about the private lessons in Dumbledore's office, his insights into Voldemort's past and the source of Voldemort's immortality.

When he finished telling of what had transpired at the black lake in the cave and after their return to Hogwarts, everyone was silent for several seconds.

"So now I am going to find and destroy the remaining Voldemort's Horcruxes and then destroy Voldemort himself," Harry concluded. "I decided to start the search at Godric's Hollow."

"You can't –"

"I'll help –"

Ginny and Neville stopped, having begun speaking simultaneously.

"It's good that you have confided in us," Luna said calmly. "Together, we shall find these Horcruxes faster."

"I don't want to put you at risk," Harry replied brusquely.

"Yeah, yeah, you have already said that when we were leaving to the Ministry last year," Ginny replied in an almost casual voice. "We don't need to start it over again."

"We alone of all D.A. fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries," Neville added. "We alone of all D.A. fought them at Hogwarts. It would be right and fair if we join once again to defeat them once and for all."

Ginny beamed.

"I think we need a new name," she said. "Dumbledore's Army has ceased to exist and Dumbledore himself has... well..."

"Too right," Ron agreed. "It's not good to use dead man's name if we want to win."

"We are in fact the core of the initial D.A." Hermione said thoughtfully. "We can come up with something like this..."

"The Core. I like this name," Luna summed up.

Harry looked at them tiredly. Apparently, he was overruled.

"_Fine_," he said exasperatedly. "Let us be the Core. There will be other problems apart from choice of name. Like, how are you going to explain your absence to your families?"

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.

"We are already of age," Ron answered. "They can't forbid us to leave the house. And I can say that Fred and George have asked me to help them with the shop."

"And Neville will come of age in July, too," Hermione added.

"Daddy trusts me a lot," Luna said dreamily. "He won't be overly worried about me as long as he knows that I'm with my friends."

Ginny scowled. "I'll go with you regardless of what Mum says! I'll sneak out of the house if I have to!"

Harry sighed. His fears came true...

"We need to find out who's this mysterious R.A.B. before we go anywhere," he muttered, turning to Neville, Ginny and Luna. "Have any ideas?"

"Well, this person had to have access to Voldemort's greatest secrets," Luna began at once. "Only a Death Eater could know it."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"And why would a Death Eater turn against his master?" he asked skeptically. "Or, better to ask, _who_ of their number would do it?"

"Well, I don't know every single of them, but apparently someone with his first name beginning with 'R' and last name beginning with 'B' could repent..."

"Repent? Of all of them only Karkaroff has really abandoned Voldemort and he has done it to save himself! And got killed for it, even though he ran off!"

"Has any other Death Eater ever really abandoned You-Know-Who and run off?" Neville suddenly asked.

"Not that I know of," Harry replied.

"So none of them were killed on Voldemort's orders?" Luna inquired. This question triggered something in Harry's memory, though he wasn't quite sure what it was. Something familiar but long forgotten... R.A.B. and killed on Voldemort's orders... Killed on Voldemort's orders and R.A.B...

Hermione noticed Harry's sudden pensiveness and put her hand to Ron's mouth when he wanted to say something. The others looked at her as she raised a finger to her lips and nodded at Harry.

Harry tried to recall where he could hear of the R.A.B. before and regretted that he didn't have a Pensieve at hand. All his attempts to concentrate on this particular memory just made it more elusive and indistinct. Frustrated, he finally let it go and forced all thoughts out of his mind, just like Snape once taught him during Occlumency lessons. He never mastered Occlumency and that was why Sirius died... Sirius! Black!

"Regulus Black!" he said aloud, hardly believing his luck.

For a moment, the compartment was silent. Then Hermione replied with one word: "Damn!"

"Hermione!" Ron and Ginny exclaimed at the same time. Hermione turned pink. "I can't believe I haven't thought of it! Of course! Sirius's brother Regulus was a Death Eater and was killed on Voldemort's orders, like Karkaroff. And he fits 'R' and 'B' letters! We need to check his middle name and if it fits too, then it's probably him."

"I dunno... He's been dead for seventeen years or so. How are we going to find a stolen Horcrux?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"It might be hidden in the Black house," Harry proposed. Then his heart sank as he remembered the cleaning they have done there two years before. What if they threw out the Horcrux without knowing it? Or Mundungus Fletcher stole it?

Probably Hermione, Ron and Ginny shared his apprehension, judging by their subdued looks. Neville and Luna who weren't at the Grimmauld Place at that time looked at them questioningly.

"We have cleaned that place from garbage two years ago and thrown out a lot of junk and useless things," Harry explained.

"And did the owner allow it?" Luna asked.

Harry nearly laughed, having imagined a portrait of Mrs. Black giving them such permission, then became serious again.

"Yes, he did," he said. "Sirius owned the house at that time and gave it to the Order for Headquarters."

"The Order? What Order?" Neville wondered.

"Order of the Phoenix," Hermione explained. "Dumbledore's secret society for fighting Voldemort's forces."

"We spent our holidays there," Ginny piped in. "At the Grimmauld Place, I mean."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked worriedly.

"Fidelius Charm! It's gone with Dumbledore!" she said in strained voice. "Otherwise we'd be unable to tell its location!"

Harry swore under his breath. With number twelve, Grimmauld Place being exposed Death Eaters could visit it at any moment, thanks to Snape.

"When a magic user dies, all continuous spells he or she has cast will lift instantly," Luna said gravely. "By the exception of ancient magic. Mum told me that it takes up to month for it to disperse unless it's maintained by someone else. If this is possible at all."

Hermione and Harry looked at her.

"Your mother seems to know a lot about advanced magic," Hermione noticed. "Where does she work?"

Harry grimaced. That was the last question Hermione should have asked. Luna's expression didn't change but he could sense she wasn't pleased with it either.

"She used to work in the Department of Mysteries before she got fired," she answered serenely.

Harry privately wondered whether Mrs. Lovegood got fired quite literally and hurried to switch the topic of conversation.

"Wait a minute, if the charm at the Grimmauld Place has lifted, it could also lift at the Dursleys'," he began before realizing that it was the very case of ancient magic Luna mentioned.

"You mean, you don't have to go there now?" Ron began excitedly.

"No," Harry amended regretfully. "According to Dumbledore, it's the ancient magic he used there. So, apparently, I'll have to stay there for a month now. Still, it's better than two."

"Yeah, right," Ron nodded. "Then we'll move..."

"Not so fast, Ron! I don't think it would be wise for all of us to stay at the Privet Drive. Dursleys' apart, the Order might become suspicious. I'll do my best to tolerate them, say, for three weeks, then you'll get me and the rest invited for the wedding, the Order guys pick me up and here we go!"

"Good plan," Luna said. "Otherwise, Voldemort might try to attack you there."

Neville frowned. "Do you have to call him _that_ all the time?" he muttered.

"If you wish, I may call him Riddle, that's his real last name," Luna replied lightly. Ginny scowled, remembering her encounter with the Horcrux diary. Hermione turned to Harry.

"Well," she said uncertainly. "Perhaps it's the best course of action..." She turned to Ron. "For when is Bill and Fleur's wedding scheduled?"

Ron shrugged. "Suppose I'll just let you know."

"Just don't mention anything about the Core," Hermione warned him. "Owls can be intercepted, you know."

"That's no problem, we still have our fake Galleons," Harry noticed. "All we need is that you make them two-way."

Neville and Ginny smiled.

"Mum's found mine last summer," Ginny remembered. "It took Hermione's explanation to convince her I wasn't doing anything wrong to get it."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, I bet she was going to start her trademark lecture. We should have used Knuts instead."

"Speaking of it, we might need to change the method of communication," Hermione said worriedly. "Malfoy has learned about it and could tell other Death Eaters. I'll try to come up with something soon..."

"It would be even better if you spend your time to come up with a way to produce Portkeys," Harry said half-jokingly. "Of all of us, only you can legally Apparate, Ron and I still have to get a licence."

"Me too," Neville added.

"And you'd better spend _your_ time to learn Occlumency at last," Hermione retorted. "Or Snape will be able to defeat you again, having penetrated into your mind."

"She's right, you know," Luna spoke seriously. "From what I gathered, Riddle can do it too."

"Okay," Harry gave up, not wanting to argue with them. Sometimes Hermione and Luna behaved as if they were one person in two bodies while at the other times they were complete opposites.

Not wasting any time, Hermione collected their fake coins and started modifying the enchantment. By the time she finished (which wasn't very long) Hogwarts Express was already approaching King's Cross.

"Time passes swiftly," she noticed.

"Bloody hell, that's _too_ swiftly for me! I could swear we've left Hogsmeade just couple of hours ago," Ron grumbled. "Are you sure nobody used a Time-Turner?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't really care.

As they got ready to get off, Hermione tried to lend Luna's black book but Luna promptly said she hasn't finished it herself yet.

The train finally came to stop. While everyone else was dragging their luggage to exits, Luna and Harry stayed in the rear, Luna, apparently, because she wanted to avoid the crowd and Harry because he was itching to ask Luna one personal question.

"Luna?" He asked in low voice. "May I ask you a question?"

She stared at him with her usual unblinking gaze. "You have already done this, Harry. But you may ask another one."

For some unknown reason Harry blushed. "Well... What was your mother's name?"

"Annabelle Michelle Skylight," Luna answered sadly. "She kept her maiden name after marrying Dad."

"Sorry," Harry said, meaning that he was sorry for making Luna sad.

"Don't be. She has always told me that she will be watching me even after leaving this earth. And she still does."

"How do you know? –"

"Harry, Luna!" Ginny came back, scowling. "Come on! What holds you here for so long?"

_FLASHBACK END_

He woke up from his reverie when Uncle Vernon snored particularly loudly in his sleep.

Harry stood up and looked around the bedroom, thinking how to busy himself before the other inhabitants of the house woke up. He wasn't in mood to clean Hedwig's cage right now, so in the end he opened his trunk, which he hadn't unpacked yet and slowly went through its contents.

Books, robes, quills, an old Sneakoscope, a couple of Decoy Detonators from Fred and George and... what's that package?

He unwrapped it to find a small shattered mirror. Sirius's two-way mirror! Harry sat down, staring dumbly at it. He never got to use it and had stuffed it deep into his trunk after his godfather's death, eventually forgetting of its existence, but now a bright idea was flashing in his mind. The mirror was shattered and he didn't know where was the second of the pair, but it could still be useful for him and for the Core. Perhaps Hermione could use it to develop some new way of Core communication...

Harry blinked and took his random thoughts under control. He was periodically trying to clear his mind and keep it blank after his return to the Privet Drive, with occasional success, but he could not tell how efficient it would be against the real external intrusion. Besides, he still had problems with shutting down his emotions.

Harry snorted. He never expected that one day he would regret the lack of Snape's lessons, but now he thought that some Occlumency practice was in order. Too bad the teacher joined the enemy...

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was wondering whether she was doing the right thing. She was fulfilling Dumbledore's instruction he had left in his will, but still, she was unsure should she carry it on or not.

The will itself was a peculiar one. While most of Dumbledore's personal possessions went to his brother Aberforth, there also were quite weird instructions like keeping Sybill Trelawney and centaur Firenze at Hogwarts as long as they want it. McGonagall could live with two Divination teachers at school, no matter how much Trelawney's stupid predictions irritated her, but Dumbledore's request to hand over the Pensieve with his memories to Harry Potter somehow bothered her.

As she walked up to number four, Privet Drive, she recalled the argument with portraits in Headmaster's office the previous night.

_FLASHBACK_  
After reading the will, she turned to a new portrait of Dumbledore on the wall of her office.

"Albus, are you really sure that's what you want me to do?" She asked skeptically.

Old man on the portrait nodded in confirmation. Few other portraits gave him disapproving looks. Everard shifted uncomfortably in his frame.

"Albus, don't forget you didn't check out the Pensieve before your last leaving. There might be something private, which the boy should not be seeing."

Dumbledore shrugged. "I don't think it really matters for me now. And Harry is almost an adult. And he needs to know."

"To know what exactly?" Minerva asked tartly. "Whatever you told him, I don't think it was wise, ordering him to keep it secret from the rest of the Order. It may be spy-proof way, but relying on seventeen year old boy to deal with You-Know-Who on his own is bordering with madness! You should tell him to trust us and leave the fight to members of the Order and Aurors."

Dumbledore remained serene. "I think it would be the best to fulfil the will."

Minerva sighed. She knew when it was useless to argue with her former colleague.

_FLASHBACK END_

* * *

Harry was trying to keep his mind free of emotions when he heard muffled voices downstairs, followed by Uncle Vernon's yell "POTTER!"

He grabbed his wand and ran down the stairs, stopping in his tracks upon seeing Professor McGonagall, who was eyeing his aunt and uncle with the displeased expression.

"Good morning, Harry," she gave him a weak smile. "I apologize for visiting without warning, but it concerns Dumbledore's will. He insisted that you should have his Pensieve."

Aunt Petunia froze.

"He's dead, too?" she suddenly asked in fearful whisper.

Harry raised his eyebrows. Judging by his aunt's apprehensive reaction, her knowledge of Wizarding World was richer than he thought. So far she let it show only twice, when Hagrid brought Harry his Hogwarts letter and when Dudley was attacked by Dementors.

Professor McGonagall gave her a strict look, obviously unused to being interrupted.

"As I have said, Professor Dumbledore has left you his Pensieve," she extracted a tiny parcel out of her pocket.

"You will not do any of your bloody tricks in my house!" Uncle Vernon barked. "We've had enough! Too bad it's still two months before the boy turns seventeen and finally gets out of here! Marge's going to come in three weeks and I don't want any weirdness under my roof while she's here!"

Harry frowned. _Another visit from Aunt Marge?_ He remembered too well how it went four years before...

However McGonagall was unimpressed. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more tolerant since Harry will hardly come back ever after," she said coldly, but Harry could swear she winked at him.

"Er, Professor," Harry hurried to fill her in. "You see, Ron has invited me to the Burrow in three weeks, you know, for Bill's wedding and..." he trailed off. Technically Ron didn't invite him yet but they had it decided.

"Good riddance!" Uncle Vernon grunted.

"I see," McGonagall nodded understandingly, handing Harry the parcel.

"Now, there are few other things we need to discuss. After the recent attack the Order is going to be reformed. We haven't got a chance to have a proper meeting yet and we can't use the old Headquarters –"

Harry couldn't help interrupting the Headmistress. "It's because of Fidelius Charm, isn't it? The spell has lifted after Dumbledore died, Hermione figured it out!"

McGonagall gave him a look but didn't reprimand him. "Yes. Phineas Nigellus informed us that Death Eaters visited the house the next morning. Fortunately, none of us was there at that time. They didn't stay there though, but Alastor – he's in charge till meeting – has decided to vacate the building until we're sure it's not a trap. We'll probably have to establish a new Headquarters."

Harry bit his lip. It was worse than he expected...

"And why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"Some members of the Order think that you should be allowed to join," McGonagall said slowly. "No student has ever been allowed to, but since Dumbledore seemed to trust you with some things nobody else knew... Well, it's not decided yet, but will definitely be discussed."

Harry didn't know whether he should be happy or not. On one hand, being a member meant he won't be kept in the dark anymore but on the other hand, he'll probably be questioned about his meetings with Dumbledore and where and why did they go.

"What about Hogwarts?" Harry switched the topic. "Will the school be reopened?"

McGonagall sighed. "The board of governors is still debating the matter. But even if they decide to keep the school opened, we'll be pressed hard to find someone for a certain job."

Harry knew at once what it was. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Since the post was cursed by Voldemort, no Defense teacher could last longer than a year. In addition, McGonagall had to find someone to fill her previous position of Transfiguration teacher and Head of the Gryffindor House.

However it was clear to him that the school still remained possibly the last safe haven in the country. Should it be closed, all students would be in even greater danger, being forced to hide within their homes from Voldemort's overwhelming forces. Come to think of it, was Voldemort's army already strong enough to directly storm Hogwarts? Harry sincerely hoped it wasn't.

"But the Ministry may station Auror troops right at school," he proposed. "That will help to prevent another attack..."

"This is the competence of the Ministry," she said wearily. "I have to meet with Scrimgeour today to talk over the matter. Anyway, should the school be opened after all, I'm going to make you the Head Boy. Considering the events of the last few years, I think you're quite capable of handling this responsibility."

Harry stared at the Headmistress. It was completely unplanned.

"Professor," he began firmly. "I'm afraid I have to decline, because I don't think I'll be coming back to Hogwarts this year."

The Dursleys, who stopped interrupting their conversation, goggled at him.

McGonagall was equally shocked. "But... Why? The school is still the safest place from You-Know-Who, despite what has happened!"

"That's why I can't stay there," Harry said bitterly. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Voldemort would keep attempting to kill him until he succeeds. Last thing he wanted to do was putting his schoolmates at unnecessary risk. Especially when he had to find four Horcruxes and then kill Voldemort somehow.

"Harry," McGonagall replied seriously. "Once you turn seventeen, it's your choice to remain at school or not, however leaving the school before your final year and N.E.W.T. exams isn't a thing to be done lightly. The seventh-year curriculum includes a lot of advanced spells and some of them are quite vital in current circumstances."

Harry's resolve began to crack. What if he failed his mission only because he didn't learn something important? Yet, should he remain at Hogwarts for a year, a lot more people would become victims of Voldemort and his army of Dark creatures, particularly Dementors and werewolves...

"If you fully intend to withdraw from Hogwarts I'll choose someone else of course, but you may yet change your mind," McGonagall went on placatingly. "I hope you would think more about it."

"I shall," Harry answered half-heartedly.

"Alright, then. Don't forget to keep in touch, Harry," Headmistress turned to leave but suddenly turned back.

"Almost forgot. _Engorgio_," She made a slight motion with her wand and the parcel in Harry's hands increased to the normal size of Pensieve. The Dursleys eyed it warily, as if it might explode any second.

"There," she smiled. "Bye, Harry."

When she left, Harry carried the parcel to his room. He was curious why would Dumbledore bequeathe his memories to him. Possibly he knew more about Horcruxes than he told him during their lessons, or had obtained another important memory right before their trip...

He unwrapped the parcel to reveal the shallow stone basin, carved with runes around the edge. The swirling silvery substance within the Pensieve seemed to be glued to the basin, as it didn't leak out when Harry accidentally tilted it. Instead, it displayed the face of Dumbledore. Harry looked at it in amazement when Dumbledore spoke, his voice echoing slightly.

"Harry, if you're observing this memory it means I didn't come back from my searches. I've placed here the memories you've seen during our lessons. Show them to Professor Snape. But first, tell him that I knew the secret of Commander but didn't want Voldemort to find out. There's no need to tell what it is, for he will probably come back soon after my death. Tell Severus all I've told you during our lessons. I know you don't like him, but you have to lay aside your grudge and combine your forces if we want to stop Voldemort. His vast knowledge of the Dark Arts will help you to break through the deadly defences Voldemort must've built to protect his Horcruxes. Once all of them are destroyed, the time will come for the ultimate confrontation. Don't hesitate to accept help from your friends and _those who are willing to aid_, even if they seem strange to you. I hope the victory won't cost us too many innocent lives. Good luck, Harry."

The image faded and the surface became silvery again.

Harry sat down in shock. Dumbledore wanted him to _rely on Snape_? Did he even _consider_ the possibility of Snape being on Voldemort's side? Apparently not. Poor Headmaster had no way of knowing who would cause his demise, but his will couldn't be fulfilled any more. Harry didn't even know where to find Snape (otherwise he might've done something very stupid). And who was this Commander and what he had to do with Snape?

Harry then remembered Luna's words that he should accept other people's help to defeat Voldemort. Well, Dumbledore seemed to agree with her.

He looked down at the silvery stuff inside the basin. Did Dumbledore leave him the Pensieve just because of this single memory? Hardly. Harry had a funny feeling about entering Dumbledore's memories on his own, come to think of it, he never managed to _exit_ the memory on his own before. But there was the only way to find out. He held his breath and plunged his face into the substance...

* * *

The Pensieve in fact contained a lot of memories. Apart from all those memories Harry had seen during his lessons with Dumbledore, there were a number of others. Most of them weren't very important to Harry, like records of some old Death Eater trials, record of Dumbledore's argument with Fudge after Voldemort's return, record of Snape showing his Dark Mark to Dumbledore, or record of young Bertha Jorkins telling Dumbledore about some boy who hexed her and some girl called Florence... Harry was getting tired of it when he suddenly found himself in a dark chamber next to five figures in black robes with their faces masked.

Harry instantly reached for his wand but then remembered that the Death Eaters couldn't harm him in the memory. He looked around and noticed a man in ragged clothes lying on the floor and breathing heavily. Judging by his looks, he was subjected to several Cruciatus Curses. Harry felt sorry for the poor man.

Suddenly the only door opened and Voldemort walked in. He looked down at the man and sneered.

"Fortescue, I give you the last chance to tell me whatever you know, join me and have your pitiful life spared."

With a jolt in his stomach, Harry recognised Florean Fortescue, the owner of ice-cream parlor in Diagon Alley.

Florean raised his head.

"I told you, I have nothing to say to you," he gasped.

"Don't lie to me! You were seen talking with Dumbledore's agent Tonks! And you were seen sneaking off to Hogsmeade. And you dare to claim you aren't in the Order?" Voldemort hissed.

Harry was dumbstruck. Florean Fortescue, working for the Order of the Phoenix?

"You can kill me but you won't be any wiser," Florean breathed out, facing Voldemort intrepidly.

"Stupid! Why should you die a painful death when you can have your life spared? Don't you realize that I'll take over anyway after this old fool is wasted? If you keep resisting, I'll just kill you and then kill off Dumbledore!"

Florean winced in pain. "If you do, then Commander will come," he muttered.

"WHO?" Voldemort exclaimed sharply.

Florean hissed, gritting his teeth, either because of pain or of spilling something important. Harry recalled Dumbledore's mention of Commander. All of it was very strange.

Voldemort raised his wand then lowered it, apparently changing his mind as he turned to one of the Death Eaters.

"Severus, give him some Veritaserum. Perhaps it will be more effective than Cruciatus."

Harry whirled around. One of the Death Eaters extracted a small vial out of his robes and stepped towards the man.

Florean turned his head and looked at Snape's mask.

"You're on the wrong path, Severus," he said with difficulty. "Turn back before it's too late. Florence has always said –"

Snape showed a vial with clear liquid into his mouth, a little too promptly for Harry, and forced the man to drink a bit.

"So who is this Commander?" Voldemort asked imperiously.

Suddenly Florean reached out and closed his mouth with his hands so all they heard was "fite wawd".

Snape bent down and removed Florean's hands from his mouth.

"What? Say it again!" Voldemort ordered.

Florean jerked, tried to break free and then quietly whispered something Harry didn't quite catch except for the last words "_in tenebris_".

Voldemort suddenly recoiled as if Florean hit him.

"How you DARE to say it in my presence!" he roared. Snape quickly left Florean and stepped aside. Voldemort's wand now pointed at Florean's head as he yelled "_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

Next moment, bright green beam hit Florean, and he fell on the floor. Harry gulped.

Voldemort hissed and then turned to the Death Eaters.

"Take it away!" he spat at Florean's body.

Four Death Eaters hurried to carry away the corpse, obviously wanting to be anywhere but near their enraged master. Snape wanted to go too, but Voldemort stopped him.

"Severus, I want a word with you."

"Anything, my master," Snape replied.

As soon as the door closed, Voldemort spoke again.

"Severus, I want you to find out about this mysterious Commander. Apparently it's more serious than I expected. You'll have to ask Dumbledore himself about his identity. Be very careful. I don't need another enemy leader popping out once we deal with this old fool."

Snape bowed. "As you say, my Lord."

The chamber faded away. Harry's head was buzzing with questions. How Snape's memory ended up in Dumbledore's Pensieve? Whose side Snape was really on? What was the matter with Commander, Fortescue and Dumbledore?

Next second, Harry found himself in a place he's been to only once. The Hog's Head bar. It was always dark in there, however, judging by a very faint light coming through the dirty windows, it had to be a very early morning. Another evidence of that was that nobody was there except the barman, who looked suspiciously familiar... Harry's jaw dropped. What was Dumbledore doing in Hog's Head, pretending to be a barman?

The door opened and a strange man walked in. He was wearing a long grey cloak, too long for his short height, and the face was obscured by the hood. Harry initially thought he was a Death Eater, but then remembered that most of the visitors of the bar kept their faces hidden. Dumbledore dismissed his doubts as he walked towards the man and shook his hand. Harry briefly noticed that both of Dumbledore's hands were still intact.

"Pleased to see you," Dumbledore greeted.

The man shrugged. "Me too. Unfortunately, the matter which brought me here isn't pleasant at all."

He was speaking with slight accent, which reminded Harry of Viktor Krum.

"Should I get you a drink? How about some oak-matured mead?" Dumbledore asked the stranger.

"I'm not Hade, Albus!" he chuckled. "Seriously, I can live with some cherry juice."

"No problem." Dumbledore conjured a bottle with dark liquid in it and handed it to the man, who sat down and drank it without removing his hood.

"Do you want to take it off?" Dumbledore asked sympathetically. "Nobody else is here."

"Nah. Not today."

Dumbledore took a seat opposite him. "Now, like Muggles say, let's talk of the business. As you see, I took a time off, in a sense, but I feel it won't be for long..." This part somehow sounded half a statement, half a question.

The man nodded.

"...so I'm going to take a trip of some sort. The thing is, where to start?" Dumbledore looked at him shrewdly.

The man slightly tilted his head. "Try to walk past old place. You aren't as exhausted as it used to be."

The answer didn't make much sense to Harry. But Dumbledore smiled as if this was what he expected to hear.

"Your hint is, as always, invaluable. Sometimes I even doubt if you would get away with it."

"There, there," the stranger admonished. "We both know you've done a lot of research. I've only put a dot after the sentence. Speaking of sentences..." He leaned closer to Dumbledore and spoke in low voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

"I think I'll take a chance and pass you a warning. Actually, I'm supposed to do it a month or so later but let it remain just between us. It would hardly make much of a difference," he snorted bitterly.

"It seems that you have forgotten some of our laws and are, probably inadvertently, violating them. But it won't be taken lightly."

The seriousness of his voice made it clear that this was the very matter, which caused the visit.

Dumbledore shook his head, frowning slightly. "No one can fulfil all of them. Even you aren't an exception."

The man in cloak shrank slightly. "This is true. But I speak of the matter... of the extreme faith..." he whispered.

Dumbledore frowned even more.

"Everyone can make a bad mistake. But not everyone is given the chance to mend it," he said coldly. Harry sensed that his patience was running thin, like when Harry doubted his judgement about Snape.

"Everyone might be given a second chance. But not everyone uses it for good," the man objected.

Harry thought it was pretty unwise. Dumbledore stood up, towering over him, anger radiating from his face. The man, however, was undaunted. He merely looked up at Dumbledore (at least Harry thought so, it was hard to tell) but didn't say a word. Few seconds later Dumbledore relaxed and sat down again.

"We have always had our disagreements," he said. "Each of us acts as he sees fit."

"Each of us has seen things the other hasn't," the man agreed. "And there's an age difference. How young are you, exactly?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Probably you wanted to ask me how _old_ I am?"

His companion muttered something that sounded like "semantics".

"Actually, I'm one hundred and fifty five," Dumbledore said. "Come to think of it, it's amazing how fast time begins to flow once you're old. That's the saddening trait of this world."

"One doesn't become old until he believes it in his heart," the man noticed.

"Our old Headmaster used to say something like that," Dumbledore remembered, gazing somewhere past his companion. "Some said he was a Seer, but I think he was highly skilled in Legilimency..."

"Just like you."

Dumbledore frowned again. "Can you just for once speak without any implications and hidden meanings?"

Harry didn't see any hidden meaning behind three innocent words. Probably the man was referring to something known only to the Hogwarts Headmaster and him.

"As you wish," he said slowly. "Let's speak openly. I think you're letting your damned past to cloud your judgement in present. I know what have you done after this old disaster in the Hollow. And I don't blame you."

Dumbledore paled. His features became stony and his face now resembled a mask.

"Losing your wife and daughter because of elusive raving madman is the experience I don't wish to anybody. The most reserved man would go berserk and join anyone to seek revenge. Even that German Baron, what was his name... Harkov? Harkonnen?"

"Walter Hartes von Blutig," Dumbledore said in a lifeless voice. "Grandfather of Gotthard Grindelwald."

Harry has never seen him like this. He felt almost like when he saw Dumbledore's death at hands of Snape. The idea of Dumbledore having lost his family to some Dark wizard was something he couldn't fully comprehend. Nothing about Dumbledore he knew had ever suggested that. And why, _why_ did he want him to know?

"They've kept their souls," the man continued sympathetically. "So have you. And this is the most important. I still think you were bitten by Mackled Malaclaw, or subjected to the Misfortune Curse when it happened."

"Probably," Dumbledore forced out. "I had my useless revenge and made the grave error by remaining in service of the Baron. But when I understood what he was up to, I was thrown into the dungeon..."

"And broken free with the help of Faw–"

"Enough," Dumbledore snarled. "I don't see what it has to do with the present."

"Just a few people trusted you after your return, right? Only one of them gave you the second chance. I admit, you used it to the full extent, mending all your past misdeeds. But, what I am trying to break to you, is that not everyone in your position would have done the same. Someone else would have simply forged repentance. You shouldn't listen to what the man says. You should listen to what he doesn't say."

The man fell silent, as if running out of words. Harry looked from one wizard to another. He had difficulty with imagining _Dumbledore_, the greatest wizard in a history, working for some Dark Baron. Suddenly, in a flash of understanding, he saw it. _That_ was the reason why Dumbledore believed Snape to be trustworthy and ignored those who tried to tell him opposite.

The heavy silence was again broken by the voice of cloaked man.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Albus. But I needed to say it."

Dumbledore nodded, his painful expression subsiding a bit. "I see. Though I don't expect you to understand what it's like, to lose your beloved and your only daughter."

The man in grey cloak visibly flinched as he reached for his sleeve and looked at his watch. It was quite odd, with several smaller glowing dials inside the main one and an abundant number of hands, moving forward and backward.

For a moment Harry thought of a Time-Turner but then dismissed this idea. Wizarding clocks were made for multiple purposes and had a lot of designs.

"I've got to leave now. See you in Eden," the man said, as he got up and rapidly walked to the door.

"If we get there," Dumbledore corrected.

"And don't forget to visit your Headquarters tonight. The others won't wait for you. And always expect the unexpected!" the man called out, the door closing behind him.

The bar dissolved in the darkness. Few seconds later, Harry found himself in a dirty dark cell, occupied by some ragged young man, who was sitting on the floor. The only source of light was the tiny window in the massive iron door.

For a minute, nothing happened. Harry took a look at the man's face and thought it was vaguely familiar, though he couldn't recognize him. Young man was staring at some point on the stone wall when suddenly there was a golden flash and a beautiful swan-sized crimson bird appeared in the cell.

The man gave a yelp of surprise.

"Merlin's beard! A Phoenix! In Baron's underground dungeon!"

The bird chirped softly, looking straight at him, but flew aside when the man reached out. Harry couldn't help but notice how much the bird resembled Fawkes.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," the man said to the Phoenix.

The bird looked at him skeptically.

"Honestly! I've done enough things wrong as it is," he confessed. "Possibly I deserved what I got. Stuck in this hole till they decide how to kill me."

The bird purred softly, like trying to calm him down. Then they heard muffled steps from the other side of the door.

"Please! If you get me out of here, I swear, I'll break with Dark side forever!" the man urged.

Now they could hear the voices of guards.

"...why are you upset?"

"That's because of the execution order. I've never _ever_ read such nonsense in all my life! Imagine, I'm ordered to hang him, then behead him and then burn him. ALIVE! Just how am I supposed to do it?" (2)

"Damn, where's that accursed Vanishing Key?" the first guard muttered.

"Please, do something!" the young man pleaded.

"Whom are you talking to, Dumbledore?" one of the guards jeered.

Harry thought he couldn't be surprised any further but this sentence proved him wrong. He gaped at the young man, who actually had a few features in common with the Headmaster Harry used to know. While Harry was staring at him, the Phoenix gripped Dumbledore's hand with his claws and they vanished in a fiery flash. The cell faded.

Harry was overwhelmed. He needed to get out of the Pensieve and sort out everything he has learned, but before he could try to do it, he found himself in a rural area near the road, which led to a house. Or, more precisely, to what once used to be a house. Now it was smoldering ruins. Harry looked around and, with a sinking feeling, saw young Dumbledore staring at the ruins with the expression of utmost horror.

This Dumbledore looked much more handsome than the one Harry saw in the cell. He was wearing an old-fashioned wizarding suit and had a long red hair in a ponytail, not unlike Bill Weasley. As his shock with the sight of destruction slightly subsided, he rushed to the house.

Harry unwillingly followed him, dreading what he could see inside.

"Solana! Lucy!" Dumbledore yelled, rushing inside through the broken front door. There was no response.

Harry looked inside. The room was in shambles, resembling the scene he saw in Horace Slughorn's house. Only this time it was genuine. There wasn't a thing in the room, which wasn't in pieces. Dumbledore rushed into the second room and froze at the doorframe. Harry peeked into the room and instantly regretted it. The opposite wall now carried the message: "DEATH TO DUMB TRAITORS". The last word was written by blood. Under the writing Harry saw a corpse of a young woman. Her auburn-haired head was separated from body and the floor was red from her blood. At her side there was a body of baby girl. She had a look of terror upon her face, her green eyes, strikingly similar to Harry's, were wide open and her cheeks were still wet from tears.

Dumbledore slowly approached them, stumbled over broken drawer and fell on his knees. Harry couldn't watch it any further and wished with all his might to get out of the Pensieve immediately. Next moment, the room faded. Harry soared through the darkness and landed on his feet in his own room, next to the basin with Dumbledore's most painful memories.

* * *

He was looking upon the dark, colorless wasteland... This place was probably more terrible than Hell itself, he thought. The sky was fully obscured by black clouds and the light was dimmer than during the winter storm. And there was a Fear. It was everywhere. He didn't need to look for its source: Dementors were gliding all over the place. He wanted to get out of there but he couldn't. Or else the Dark Lord will order to kill him.

Suddenly he had a flicker of hope in his heart as he heard a faint female voice, slightly resembling his mother's. The voice didn't come outside, though. More like from inside.

"Draco, Draco you are not a killer... I can help you... Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you and your family more completely than you can possibly imagine. Come over to the right side, Draco... you are not a killer..."

_These were Dumbledore's words_, Draco remembered. Right before he died at hands of Severus Snape.

"Too late for me. Dumbledore's dead. The Order of the Phoenix is beheaded, and soon the Dark Lord will take over, and then there will rise the Dark Order..." he thought in desperation.

"No, it won't," the woman's confident voice entered his mind again. "The lightbringer is already on the way..."

A Dementor glided near him, spreading cold and dread around, however a powerful beam of light has suddenly broken through the shadows around and dispersed the creature as if it was a cloud of black smoke...

Draco Malfoy woke up. He fell asleep in one of Death Eaters' temporary hideouts, fortunately not on the guard duty. After the battle at Hogwarts most of Death Eaters considered him "too soft for the real job", so he was practically demoted to the level of servant, like Wormtail, which hurt his pride to no end. And the worst was that his mother had virtually become a hostage, as he was warned that any disobedience on his side would result in turning her and then him into Inferi.

He didn't see Snape after Dumbledore's murder, but he overheard the conversation of a few recently recruited Death Eaters that he became Dark Lord's right hand, much to Bellatrix's dismay, and was currently involved in some secret project of the Dark Lord. The last part was unconfirmed, but Bellatrix Lestrange was furious with Snape's new promotion and took it out on Draco, calling him names, among which "filthy coward" was the politest.

_At least she didn't curse me_, Draco thought, _it's not like it couldn't be worse._

He looked out of the tiny window. The night sky was clear, the stars were shining brightly... Draco suddenly tensed, noticing a black shadow moving across the sky but then relaxed, recognizing a lone Thestral. He couldn't see these creatures while being at Hogwarts, but he saw the picture in his textbook. He sighed. He wished he could just fly away like this creature... Funny, but now he actually regretted he didn't quite listen to Hagrid when he was telling them about Thestrals.

Draco tried to go back to sleep. Tomorrow would hardly bring any good news to him... Or would it? "_Lightbringer is already on the way_", he remembered his dream. But it was just a dream. And even if it was true, would it do him any good?

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this chapter raised even more questions. All of them will be answered in the end (just remind me if I forget something). Sorry if I got Dumbledore OOC, I actually tried to do my best.

The question of Dumbledore's age remained open until after the DH, but in my story I follow Rowling's previous estimation and assume that he was born in 1841.

Extra reviews, extended and objective especially, may speed up the further updates. I have every intention of getting this story to its end, though not after a mere few chapters.

(2) Borrowed from Dmitri Yemets. In his book, this execution wasn't performed either :)


	4. Chapter 3: Core Reunited

A/N: This chapter contains several subtle crossovers, but I own nothing except for OC. My thanks to **Gwinna** for consultation on correct Latin.

**Chapter 3: Core Reunited**

Harry felt his fake Galleon warming up. Apparently, Hermione had another important thing to broadcast to the whole Core.

He extracted the coin from his pocket and read the message.

_MIRRORS WORK. WILL BE READY SHORTLY. SEE YOU, HERMIONE._

He shook his head. After he managed to clue her in about the two-way mirror he discovered in his trunk, Hermione became obsessed with creating a network of mini-mirrors which could be used only by the Core members and could provide them with on-line visual contact like sophisticated Muggle devices he heard about... Naturally, experiments with mirrors didn't put an end to Hermione's attempts to locate possible hiding places for Horcruxes. It took her merely a few days to find out that the middle name of Regulus Black was Arcturus thus confirming Harry's suspicion.

Luna sent her messages, too. She did some researches (which Harry intended to question her about) and came up with a pretty disturbing theory that Voldemort's Horcruxes might require a special rite in order to be destroyed. Harry doubted that since he ruined Riddle's diary without it, but he couldn't send a reply through the coin because of the underage magic restriction, so he ended up sending Hedwig to Luna with the note which contained three words: "Are you sure?"

Luna then sent her pet raven Nevermore, which scared the Dursleys out of their wits with an even shorter verbal answer: "Later!"

Harry wasn't sure why she didn't respond via fake Galleon. Maybe to avoid overusing the coin message system. Probably the full answer was really too long to be put on the coin surface. Luna's messages also vaguely indicated that she had learned something entirely new during her researches but the details would wait until the Core gathering at the Burrow.

Ron's owl Pigwidgeon had already delivered a formal invitation to everyone in the Core, and Harry was expecting members of the Order to pick him up in the evening. It was hard to say whether the ancient magic already dispersed or not, but recent letters from Mrs. Weasley and Professor Lupin implied that the Order wasn't very happy about Harry's current whereabouts.

Harry himself fully agreed with them. It was less than a week since a large group of Dementors was intercepted on their way to Surrey. The article on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ claimed that an unknown wizard had produced an outstanding Patronus, which scattered the Dementors, and then Disapparated before the arrival of Aurors. Whoever managed to perform such a feat remained unknown, despite all attempts of the Ministry to find out.

In the meantime, Death Eaters were acting more and more openly. Harry read about several Hogwarts students who disappeared with their families, including Justin Finch-Fletchley, Mandy Brocklehurst and, which came as the biggest shock, Harry's roommate Seamus Finnigan. After that, Harry's resolve to leave on the Horcrux hunt immediately after his seventeenth birthday was set in stone. The only good thing was that werewolf attacks had ceased after the capture of Fenrir Greyback, probably thanks to Remus Lupin.

Harry thought back to the battle at Hogwarts when Greyback mauled Bill Weasley. Ron and Ginny wrote that though Bill didn't transform during the full moon, he suffered almost as much as Lupin (according to Tonks). Ron also wrote that Fleur managed to ease Bill's pain with some Veela magic but somehow their mother wasn't happy about it.

Harry had a feeling he was going to learn an awful lot of things after return to the Burrow. Yet he had a lot of information to share, too. He knelt and dragged the Pensieve from under his bed. Apparently he could work with it without violating the underage magic restriction as long as he didn't actually use any spells.

After initial shock, he continued exploring its contents, though he had a few nightmares in which Voldemort was killing Dumbledore's daughter who then turned into his mother and then into Ginny... Harry shuddered. He could still see the horrified green eyes of the baby girl in spite of his attempts to block it away. So much for his supposed success with Occlumency. Recently he tried downloading his own memories into the Pensieve which brought him some real progress, but he realized it wasn't remotely enough to block out an expert on Legilimency like Snape or Voldemort.

He couldn't directly put his discoveries in his letters but hinted that he learned something very important. Actually Harry wasn't sure how important his findings really were. Still, he poked the surface of the Pensieve with his wand until it showed the memory he wanted to review, and bent over the basin.

Moments later, he was looking around Dumbledore's office. Portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses were sleeping in their frames as usually. Fawkes was eyeing Dumbledore curiously. Dumbledore himself was reading a letter from Fudge. Then someone gently knocked the door.

"Enter," said Dumbledore.

The door opened to reveal the man in grey cloak, whom Harry now believed to be the Commander himself. Dumbledore stood up while Fawkes trilled happily and perched on the man's shoulder.

"May day! How did you manage to come past all the shields without disturbing them?" Dumbledore asked in concern.

Harry knew the question and the following answer since he saw this memory before. He was trying again to get a look at the man's face but again all he could see was his chin. The rest was obscured by the hood. Come to think of it, it was strange that he didn't bump into anything, unless he had Moody-like eyes.

"Pretty simple, you know," he drawled. "I didn't plan to trick your spells. It sort of happened. It's quite hard to get together for a chat with you, nowadays, so I had to drop by at night."

Dumbledore sighed. "As much as I'd love to chat with you, I can't spare you much time tonight. Fudge is questioning me about the measures we take to find and capture Black after his last infiltration. If you could help us in any way, it would be greatly appreciated."

The man shifted slightly. "Let's put it like this. When time comes, you'll find him. I give you my word."

Harry came closer and tried to peek directly under the hood but again he could see nothing. Probably the cloak and, by extension, the hood was somehow enchanted against external looks.

"Fair enough. Now would you like a lemon drop? I'm afraid I don't have any cherries..." Dumbledore began.

"No thank you. I'd rather pay a visit to Florean. His sundaes with seratonin and polyvitamins are marvelous this year," the other replied.

Dumbledore nodded as Fawkes flew back to his perch, and the man left.

"I'll have to reinforce our shields again," he muttered to himself. "He shouldn't have been able to get here so easily. Who knows if Black might..."

Harry withdrew from the memory. Like any other memory he saw in the Pensieve, it contained no clues to the identity of that Commander or the reason why Florean Fortescue called him that. Yet Dumbledore wouldn't have mentioned him in his message addressed to Harry if he wasn't important.

Harry again prodded the silvery gas with his wand to review another memory he was interested in.

Again, he was in Dumbledore's office, only this time there were Dumbledore, tiny Professor Flitwick and a thirteen-year-old girl bearing a striking resemblance to Luna Lovegood.

"Ah, Miss Skylight," Dumbledore greeted her. "Professor Flitwick has informed me that you wanted to take more electives than a school day may fit. It can be fixed..."

The girl looked up at him hopefully. Even in the memory her huge eyes made Harry uncomfortable.

"...with the help of a Time-Turner." Dumbledore reached into his pocket and extracted a familiar golden hourglass.

"My mother told me of these," the girl said dreamily. "They are fervently guarded by the Ministry lest someone tries to use them for evil."

"Indeed," Professor Flitwick chimed in. "Leia is very clever woman, it was originally her idea to provide you with this device. It took us a lot of persuasion in the Ministry of Magic to let you borrow it for this term, and you'll have to promise to use it for nothing other than study. I emphasize: study within a classroom under teacher's supervision."

The girl nodded solemnly. "I agree."

"Good," the Headmaster said. "You'll have to hide from the other people while using it and you'll need a mere turn to be able to attend your other classes. And I beg you, Annabelle, under any circumstances do not attempt to dismantle it to see how it works! The consequences might be terrible. I trust you to wait until you are old enough before trying to satisfy your thirst for knowledge of the intricacies of the Time magic."

Annabelle took the hourglass from Dumbledore and carefully hid it under her robes.

"Alright, Professor," she sighed. "Please, could you also tell me why don't we study Arcane magic at Hogwarts? Mum told me they covered it in their school."

Dumbledore gazed at her through his half-moon glasses.

"This magic was deemed dangerous years ago. Not quite fairly, in my opinion it depends on who uses it and for what. However I know for a fact that it is being studied in our Ministry's Department of Mysteries. Maybe one day you will join them in their researches... Now I think you should go if you don't want to miss the feast," he smiled.

Annabelle shrugged. "I think I can always ask the house-elves if I did. Besides, they are very funny."

She turned and left the office, humming something softly. Dumbledore sat down.

"I should meet her mother during the Christmas break. Something in this girl reminds me of a person I knew in the past..." he muttered pensively.

Harry pulled out of the Pensieve and replaced it under the bed. Looking out of the window, he wondered whether Aunt Marge would be delayed by her bulldogs and arrives after his departure or would she come in the evening like she wanted. On one hand, he had no desire of meeting her again but on the other hand, it would be great fun to watch her reaction to the members of the Order.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were clearly horrified of the second possibility as they kept asking Harry when his 'weirdos of friends' would come and 'cart him away'. Dudley kept avoiding Harry as much as possible, and Harry never saw him turning his back to him since his return.

When Harry came down for dinner, Uncle Vernon was absent. Aunt Petunia shot him an acid look.

"I hope these people you call friends will come on time or even earlier. Though the hope is feeble. I still remember how it went when _she_ invited her ruddy friends!" she hissed.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Do you mean my mum inviting dad and his friends?" he asked as politely as he could in these circumstances.

His question caused an unexpected reaction. Aunt Petunia shuddered and dropped her cup (fortunately empty) to the floor.

"No! He alone was ten times worse than Annabelle, Alice and Florence put together!"

Harry's eyes widened. Annabelle was probably Luna's mother and Alice was Neville's. But he didn't expect Aunt Petunia to know them. He didn't even know for sure that his mother knew them...

"Annabelle? You mean Annabelle Skylight?" he inquired. His aunt stared at him.

"How did you know?" She asked nervously.

"A friend has told me," Harry said. "Would you please tell me what else do you know about them?"

Aunt Petunia looked haughtily at him. "I never spoke to them and never wanted to. Now get out of the kitchen!"

However Harry wasn't about to leave without getting the answers he wanted. "I need to know it. When did they visit your house and what has happened to Florence? I never heard of her until recently."

Aunt Petunia was about to retort when she halted, thinking about something.

"They stayed for a week during the holidays when she was fourteen and they were late for the whole day, arriving at night," she said almost calmly. "I remember, one night I overheard them talking about forming a Sisterhood of the – something. I wasn't interested. And I don't know what happened to either of her friends later. I never saw them again. Though this Annabelle was the worst of the bunch, with her manner of speaking, weird appearance and eerie eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if she got into trouble and got killed. As for Florence, I have no idea. All I know is that she had a protective brother who didn't want her to go out with that pesky Severus Snape –"

Harry almost fainted.

* * *

The doorbell rang frantically. While Uncle Vernon went to open the door, Harry reached for his wand, just in case. Few seconds later Vernon Dursley yelped and jumped away from Mad-Eye Moody who kept his wand pointed at his chest, while his eye rotated in all directions, looking mostly behind. Harry frowned and prepared to cast a Full Body Bind on the impostor.

"Alright, Potter, ask me a question!" Moody growled, guessing his intentions.

"Er..." Harry was lost for a moment. "Where's the rest of the party?"

"Here we are," Remus Lupin entered after Moody, followed by pink-haired Tonks and Mr. Weasley.

"Wotcher, Harry," Tonks said playfully. Mr. Weasley beamed at him.

"You shouldn't have opened the door before checking who's there!" Mad-Eye reprimanded the Dursleys. "Constant vigilance!"

Uncle Vernon glared at him but was too intimidated to talk back.

"And you!" he turned to Harry. "You need to ask the question only one other person can answer! Now, who presented you with your Firebolt?"

"Sirius," Harry answered.

"That's right," Moody grunted.

"Let's go pack your things and leave," Tonks said enthusiastically. She and Lupin followed Harry to his room, while Mr. Weasley examined Dursley's new TV (ignoring Aunt Petunia who was glaring daggers at him), and Moody kept his wand directed at Uncle Vernon and his eye at the door.

"Where are we going right now? The Burrow or the new Headquarters?" Harry asked.

"You'll see," Tonks answered mysteriously. "You've done Side-Along Apparition before, right?"

Harry nodded. He had already packed his trunk, except for his wand, fake Galleon in his pocket and the Pensieve.

Lupin shrank the Pensieve with a flick of his wand and handed it back to Harry.

"Minerva told us about Dumbledore's will," he said thoughtfully. "As soon as we get back, perhaps there's something you'd like to tell us?"

Harry didn't answer. He decided to discuss it with the Core first.

"Are Hermione and the others there already?" he asked.

"Of course," Tonks replied. "Only Luna is delaying. I think she said something about Bolly... Boggly... some creatures her father has found in their house and needed to get rid of," she finished uncertainly.

Harry chuckled. Just then, they heard a scream from downstairs, followed by thud and loud barking. Lupin and Tonks instantly reached for their wands but Harry stopped them.

"I think Aunt Marge has come a bit too early."

* * *

They approached the Burrow, after having switched off and back on some shields Mr. Weasley said have been added recently. Still, they asked Mrs. Weasley a check question on Moody's order before entering the house.

After locking the door with several spells, Moody turned to face Harry.

"Molly, give him the location," he said.

Mrs. Weasley handed Harry a piece of paper. The note, written in unfamiliar handwriting, said:

_The primary Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is now located under the Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole._

"_Under_ the Burrow?" Harry asked in surprise, as Moody took back the note.

"We have completely redecorated our old cellar," Mr. Weasley explained. "And expanded it to the size of a dungeon. That's where our meetings take place now... well, most of them."

"There's also a secondary Headquarters in Hogsmeade," Lupin added. "In case they break through our shields here."

"And what about Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked. "Haven't you claimed it back?"

Moody glared at him. "After they got there in the first place, the house is useless for us. It may be warded against Apparition and Flooing but nothing would prevent Death Eaters from setting an ambush nearby. Then nobody will be able to enter or exit safely."

"No need to worry, the Burrow is almost as safe as Hogwarts now," Tonks said. "I mean, there are even more security spells than in Gringotts, with Bill's oncoming wedding and all," she amended.

"How is Bill?" Harry asked immediately. Mrs. Weasley's face darkened.

"He's been better since," Mr. Weasley answered slowly. "He doesn't even have to drink the Wolfsbane potion during the full moon. Fleur said he reacted well to her –"

"Well Harry, Ron, Ginny and the others have really looked forward to see you," Mrs. Weasley suddenly interrupted her husband. "I hope, Luna arrives soon. Ginny is worried about her."

Harry went upstairs without another word, making a point to ask Ron about Fleur and her healing methods.

"Harry!" Hermione saw him first and rushed to hug him. "At last! You have no idea how scared I was when I heard of those Dementors!"

"Let him breath," Ron chuckled, coming to his aid. "I'm sure he could banish all of them on his own..."

"Don't say that, Ron!" Hermione admonished angrily. "If Harry had done it before, it doesn't mean he can do it any time…"

"The bodyguards from the Order wouldn't have let him, anyway," Ron finished.

"I'm okay," Harry said. "But I was beside myself when I read about Seamus..."

"Me too," Ron replied quietly. "Dad said there was no Dark Mark and no bodies, it means they were taken alive..."

Harry pushed away the thoughts of what Death Eaters could do to their captives.

"Come on," Hermione called. "Neville and Ginny are waiting upstairs. We've got to show you our new mirrors."

Harry followed them to Ron's room.

"Hi, Harry," Neville greeted him.

"Free at last?" Ginny joked.

"Sort of," Harry smiled. "Free of the Dursleys, anyway."

"Now we're only short of Luna," she mused. "I hope she is alright..."

"I'm sure she'll be here before long," Hermione said confidently. "Now, Harry, here it is..."

She extracted a tiny black mirror from her pocket and gave it to him.

"The network mirror," she said proudly. "All you have to do is say the name of who you want to speak to who has another mirror. I admit, I wouldn't come up with that if it wasn't for your hint."

"Er," Harry stumbled. "I just accidentally found Sirius's broken mirror while unpacking. I didn't think it would take you a mere few weeks to make these... I mean, it must be really complicated."

"It was," she agreed. "I had to use several charms which aren't taught to students at school."

"Speaking of school," Harry interrupted. "Does anybody know whether they will open it or not?"

The others shrugged. Then Ginny spoke. "No one really knows. The board of governors deemed that McGonagall has to fill all vacancies before August but for all we know she still lacks a Defense teacher."

"However she said that Dumbledore planned to hire another one," Ron noticed. "Extendable Ears of Fred and George still serve us well when they talk outside of their meetings."

"Whom did he want to hire?" Harry asked, mildly surprised.

"She said there was no name, just some strange abbreviation," Hermione answered. "She also said it might have something to do with the memories Dumbledore left to you."

Despite his occasional recklessness, Harry was able to put two and two together. He guessed who the candidate for D.A.D.A. position was, but couldn't tell them just yet.

"We have to wait for Luna," he said quietly, noticing their expectant looks. "And, by the way, who is the Order's Secret Keeper now?"

"Amos Diggory," Neville popped into conversation for the first time. "Cedric's father. We heard with Extendable Ears. We think he joined them after Dumbledore's funeral."

Harry frowned, having recalled the Triwizard Tournament and its tragic ending.

"And who else have joined the Order?" he asked absently.

"They still withhold information from us," Ginny said angrily. "Even Mum and Dad treat us like eleven-year-olds. Bill is a bit better, though. He let it slip that they are thinking about letting _you_ join the Order!"

If she intended to impress Harry with that, she failed.

"I already know it, McGonagall has told me," Harry replied. "They probably want to know what Dumbledore told me and I retold you on the train."

"Oh," Ginny looked disappointed.

"Now that you mention Bill, what's wrong with him? Your mother seemed a bit upset and didn't want to talk about Fleur. Didn't she help him during the full moon?"

Ron looked aside uncomfortably, and Hermione scowled.

"She did," Ginny answered sarcastically. "I just wonder what sort of charm it was, that required to seal the room from inside and cast a soundproof spell for the rest of the night!"

"But you can't deny he looked loads better after!" Ron objected. "You just don't want her be in the family!"

"Boys!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"_Hem, hem_," Neville caught everyone by surprise with his unexpectedly good imitation of Dolores Umbridge, thus extinguishing the conflict.

Just then they heard loud voices from downstairs.

"Probably Luna has come at last," Ginny said in relief.

"I'll meet her," Harry said and went down to see the unexpected scene.

Mad-Eye Moody was eyeing Luna as if he saw a Death Eater in bad disguise. Mrs. Weasley watched them in alarm.

"Now, girl, why didn't your mother accompany you?" Moody asked menacingly.

"She died when I was nine," Luna answered serenely. "Spell accident."

"Your father prints _The Quibbler_, right?" Mad-Eye continued. "What was the main article of last year's February edition about?"

"Blibbering Humdingers and the properties of their fur," Luna recited.

Moody's shoulders sagged. Harry couldn't understand why he was so suspicious of her.

"What have you got there?" Mad-Eye asked sharply, noticing a pair of Spectrespecs in her left hand.

"My Spectrespecs," Luna replied simply. "They help to detect Ethereals."

Mad-Eye nearly choked at her answer. Then he grabbed the Spectrespecs and examined them closely.

"I'll keep these," he grunted and then went to the kitchen without another word.

Luna didn't seem to mind. Harry flinched, having remembered her schoolmates taking her things away all the time.

"I'm sorry, Luna," he said quietly. "I don't know what's gotten into him. I'll get your Spectrespecs back right –"

"This is very nice of you, Harry," Luna said dreamily. "But I don't really mind. If Mr. Moody wants to look for Ethereals, let him. Only they are very rare nowadays. Daddy was hoping that at least someone would spot them by now... Though," she frowned a bit, "I don't quite understand why do we need all this security. A couple of Heliopaths would do..."

Harry smiled. "Come on, Luna. The rest are waiting for you."

"'Arry!" Fleur Delacour came down (Mrs. Weasley retreated to the kitchen at once). "I deedn't know you were coming tonight!"

She hugged him and kissed him on a cheek before turning to Luna.

"'Ello," she greeted her. "Are you a friend of 'Arry?"

"Hello," Luna said absently. "I'm Luna. And you're Fleur Delacour. I saw you in the Hospital Wing last month."

Fleur frowned, obviously trying to remember.

"If you say so," she said at last, with a bit of uncertainty in her voice. "Pleased to see you again."

She smiled and hugged Luna too.

"Luna!" Ginny came down too, apparently wondering what was delaying them.

"Hi, Ginny!"

The girls hugged each other.

"She's very nice, 'Arry," Fleur purred. "You two look so cute together." (3)

It took Harry few seconds to realize that Fleur wasn't talking about Ginny.

* * *

After all members of the Core have gathered at last, Harry started his tale of what he saw in the Pensieve. He told his friends about Dumbledore's instruction, Fortescue's death, his mention of Commander and Dumbledore's conversations with that strange man, but intentionally omitted the part about Annabelle Skylight. He would discuss it later when Luna and he would be alone. He would also have to ask a few questions to Lupin...

When he finished, Hermione and Neville were gaping at him in shock. Luna looked thoughtful. Ginny was staring at her hands. Ron obviously felt uncomfortable.

"Are you completely sure that Dumbledore was talking of Baron Hartes?" Hermione asked in strained voice.

"Yeah. Why?" Harry was confused. What was so wrong about that? Nobody is perfect.

"Baron Hartes von Blutig was one of the darkest wizards of the nineteenth century," Hermione said slowly. "_The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ said that Grindelwald had followed his grandfather's example, and _Magick Mostc Evilc_ also briefly mentioned that Baron was the inventor of the Dark Rite."

"The Dark Rite?" Harry perked up. "What is it? What does it do?"

"No idea," Hermione replied tiredly. "It was the only book I've seen where they mentioned it. I read it while looking for information on Horcruxes..."

Ron frowned. "Do you think it was something like Horcruxes?"

"It might be something even worse," Neville spoke suddenly.

Everyone turned to him.

"Worse?"

"What do you mean? Did you –"

"My Gran told me this tale when I was ten," Neville began. "She and Uncle Algie told me a lot of stories about our family and our famous ancestors. According to them, my great-great-grandfather Mars Longbottom played an important role in defeat of Baron's Inferi squadron... He and his faithful friend Tomek Caelumen had infiltrated his fortress and wiped out all the undead lurking there. They also had found Baron's magical book with the description of the Rite and destroyed it. Great-great-grandfather later said that the day when someone performed the Rite might be the last day of the known world. He also said something else about it, but made my grandparents promise that they wouldn't retell it. So I think that Dumbledore found out about the Rite and broken up with the Dark Arts because it was even more dangerous than Unforgivable Curses..."

Harry shrugged. "All of this is very interesting, but why did Dumbledore want me to know about the Baron?"

"Perhaps he didn't," Hermione said timidly.

"What?"

"You see, Harry, I read about how these Pensieves work. When you place your memory in it, you don't actually forget what has happened, but the intensity of the memory decreases a great deal. I believe that Dumbledore had extracted his most unpleasant memories before going to the cave with you, just in case... And never got a chance to remove them..."

Harry thought about it. He knew from experience that placing the memories into the Pensieve more or less prevented them from leaping in front of the mind. He also remembered how Dumbledore reacted to that potion in the cave. It was quite plausible.

"Well, it might be. Now back to the topic, that's what I have learnt. What about your researches?" he looked at Hermione and at Luna, who remained quiet throughout the whole discussion.

"The mirrors will allow us to maintain contact if we'll have to part," Hermione started. "As for Horcruxes, I think we should search the Grimmauld Place first. There is a possibility that the locket is still there. I also think we should find this orphanage where Voldemort had lived before Hogwarts, since the ring was hidden in his mother's house and the locket was originally in that cave..."

"Borgin and Burkes," Luna said suddenly.

"What?" Hermione looked at her in astonishment.

"Borgin and Burkes. The shop where Riddle used to work. I feel like one of Horcruxes is there," Luna said vaguely.

"How can you feel it?" Ginny asked in amazement. Luna shrugged. Ron rolled his eyes, earning a glare from Hermione.

"You know, you may be right, Luna," she said thoughtfully. "But I'm afraid, the owners won't let us search their place."

"We'll find some way," Harry replied. "A diversion, maybe, or something." Then he turned to Luna.

"And what about your research? How did you come up with this Horcrux rite? For I distinctly remember I didn't use any with that diary."

"Well, too bad," Luna said serenely. Then she picked up the latest issue of _The Quibbler_ with Dumbledore's picture on the cover and an old black book Harry saw on the train.

"I looked into old issues for the articles regarding the ancient magic and found that merely breaking or tearing a Horcrux is unlikely enough to banish the piece of soul enclosed within," Luna began melodiously. "You'll need to melt it or burn it thoroughly, or cast a special spell to force the inhabitant to abandon the item."

"I pierced the diary with a fang of the basilisk," Harry remembered. "Is it sufficient?"

"You did?" Luna's naturally wide silvery eyes widened even more. "Yes, I believe it is sufficient, then. Basilisk's fangs are very poisonous."

She reached for the black book. "This old notebook also contained a lot of interesting things, like the spell which might break a Horcrux."

Hermione eyed the book carefully. "A notebook? Didn't you say you found it in the Room of Requirement?"

"I did," Luna said jovially. "And I'm glad that I did. There are some quite curious charms... Here, let me show you!"

She took out her wand and waved at Ron.

"_Aguamenti!_"

"HEY! What was that for!" Ron yelled as a jet of water hit his face, wetting him from head to waist.

"Don't worry, Ronald," Luna made another motion with her wand. "_Aquamoderum!_"

The dripping water halted and then suddenly gathered into a ball, which floated in front of now completely dry Ron.

"Wow," was all the response he could muster. Everyone else just stared at Luna.

Then Ron unwisely touched the waterball with his finger, an action which for some reason caused his whole sleeve to soak again.

"Bloody hell!" Ron then took his own wand to cast a drying charm.

"What kind of spell is this?" Hermione asked cautiously. "I don't remember reading about anything like that in our schoolbooks."

"Water control," Luna explained. "It allows to manipulate small masses of water in a variety of ways."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other. They knew too well the possible consequences of learning unfamiliar spells from the suspicious books.

"Are you sure it is safe to practice these spells which are probably unregistered if not self-made?" Hermione asked seriously. "You might even not know the consequences!"

"Don't worry. This spell's full description has remained," Luna said equally seriously, an unexpected change in her behavior. "I would never practice a spell without knowing the outcome."

Harry again remembered that Luna had lost her mother due to a spell accident. And he tried out an unknown Sectumsempra spell on Malfoy a couple of months before. He felt ashamed.

"And how many spells like that are described here?" Hermione inquired.

"Quite a few, really. I memorized this one, the Unbreakable Vow and few others, particularly the spell of Battle Spark and the Love Liberation spell, which might help against Riddle," Luna answered.

_Love Liberation spell?_ Harry wondered. Did Luna find a way to actually use his so-called 'power'?

"And whose book is this?" Ginny frowned.

Luna shrugged again. Ginny then leaned forward and grabbed the book, flicking through the pages. Her eyes narrowed.

"This book is handwritten! And the hand is very similar to yours!" she pointed down at the neat flowing writing. "Are you sure you didn't write it yourself?"

"Come on, Ginny," Harry chuckled. "If Luna created these spells by herself then she must be the greatest spell inventor since Dumbledore!"

Luna smiled. For a moment Harry privately thought that the strange old book might have been compiled by her inventive mother Annabelle but then discarded that idea. The book seemed too shabby. More likely it belonged to Luna's grandmother but according to Dumbledore's memory, she didn't attend the Hogwarts school.

"So what did you say about this Love spell?" he asked.

"Love Liberation Spell. It was listed on the remaining pages about Formulas of Light. Speaking of which, did Mr. Fortescue really use one of them against Riddle in that memory?" Luna asked dreamily.

"What?" Harry was perplexed. How could he not notice – hang on!

"He said something like 'tenebris'..." Harry recalled. "But –"

"That's it!" Luna pointed at the bottom of one of torn pages. "The full Formula is 'Lux in tenebris' ".

"It merely means 'Light in the darkness' in Latin..." Hermione stated in incomprehension.

Luna nodded. "It probably didn't work like it should because, as it's mentioned here, this shortest formula was actually meant to be used not by humans but by –"

"By whom?" Hermione asked sharply.

"I don't know for sure," Luna replied calmly. "The next page is torn out. Though the remaining part says that all of these can only harm Dark creatures, for example 'Auryn solare' works particularly well against Vampires..."

"Let's hope we won't encounter any," Ron grumbled.

"...and I believe that Horcruxes and Riddle himself might be affected most by the Love Liberation spell – _Amor liberatus_."

At these words, her wand suddenly produced a bright multi-colored spark. For a moment there was a distinctive smell of ozone. Neville sneezed.

"We might have to halt till tomorrow," Harry sighed, hearing the steps of Mrs. Weasley. It was almost midnight.

* * *

Percy Weasley ran into Croaker's office.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasley," Croaker greeted him. "Can you please not go into details? I was just going to call it a night."

Percy took out a fresh issue of _The Quibbler_ he just finished reading and threw it on the desk.

"Have you read it already?"

Old man looked closer.

"As a matter of fact, I have," he said pleasantly. "This article about relic Hellcats in Scotland was very entertaining and some things were even credible. I especially liked this definition: 'Hellcat is a beast in all senses of the word.' "

"I have no time for jokes, sir," Percy said briskly. "I mean the article about Dumbledore!"

"Ah."

The article about Dumbledore's funeral Percy referred to also contained a list of the great wizard's achievements, including those known to everyone, like discovering the twelve uses of dragon blood, but also some very dubious and a few potentially scandalous. The one which alarmed Percy so much, was that, according to the tabloid, Dumbledore had also invented the way to travel into alternative dimensions but then, for some reason, kept it in deep secret.

"I see you are worried about the leak of information," Croaker spoke understandingly. "But there is no need to worry. There have been none. I don't know whether the author of the article made it up or heard some unconfirmed rumors, but it has nothing to do with our most recent research, I assure you."

"Are you completely sure that nobody from your Department was talking around?" Percy asked skeptically.

"I can swear. We have our own ways to find out when someone violates the conditions of our job," Croaker answered.

Half-convinced, Percy decided to inquire. "Should we not investigate the journal then, sir?"

"I think so. It would only instigate the unlikely public interest to this topic if we did."

Croaker smiled at the young man.

"The _Quibbler_ writes true facts very rarely, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps the only exception so far was that article with Harry Potter's interview, which has certainly increased its popularity. The editor should be really grateful to him."

He smiled again as if he knew the said editor in person.

"And how do _you_ think, Mr. Croaker, could Dumbledore really have known this magic?" Percy asked cautiously.

The old man scratched his chin.

"An interesting question. Considering how powerful he was I wouldn't put it past him, but I doubt that he invented something new in this field. The technique hasn't changed since the ancient times for all I know."

He stood up. "Now if this is all, Mr. Weasley, I suggest you to go home. Thank you for coming to me with this, anyway. By the way, would you like me to talk to your father? Arthur has recently expressed his concern with your... solitude. If you wish –"

"No!" Percy interrupted him hastily. "No, thank you, sir, but this is something I have to do on my own. Well, goodnight, Mr. Croaker."

Percy quickly left the office, his heart beating too fast. He has to do it on his own. He _has_ to. He should have done it long ago. He breathed deep.

He knew that his eldest brother Bill was going to get married in a couple of days. He wished he could see him. They didn't meet after that attack when Bill confronted Fenrir Greyback. Actually they didn't properly meet at all since... He had to do some quick math. And Charlie would probably turn up for the wedding. The whole family is going to be there. Except for him.

He remembered that nightmare he had recently, in which Penelope Clearwater said that he didn't deserve a family of his own. He didn't want to think that it was true. If only he could visit the Burrow, just for one day...

He woke from his reverie when he heard the falsely sweet voice of Dolores Umbridge just around the corner.

"...I'm sure if we can hold his Apparition test, or find a reason to deny him a license..."

"Interesting," Scrimgeour's voice replied. "We'll have to look into it."

Percy backed away. Last thing he needed was being caught while eavesdropping on the Minister of Magic and his Undersecretary. A small voice in his head whispered that what the Minister was planning to do wasn't entirely legal either.

"...he is currently staying at the Weasleys. I don't think they'll let us meet him. I've known this Muggle-loving loser since my days at Hogwarts. I've always wondered how he became a Prefect..."

The voices faded as they walked away. Percy wiped sweat from his face. _So they were talking about Harry Potter._ Minister Scrimgeour wasn't happy at all when Percy told him about the result of exploration at the explosion site. He even decided to keep it secret from the Muggle Prime Minister. 'The less people know the better,' he said. And now he reanimated the old scheme to increase the Ministry's support with the help of 'The Chosen One'. Percy really didn't like it. What the Ministry needed to do was find a way to prevent the Dark Lord from further experiments with ancient dangerous magic, not convince everyone that the war was almost won. Though people would hardly believe it anyway without the real results. But should the disaster occur, the history would repeat itself...

Percy couldn't divulge that top-secret information, but it didn't mean there was nothing he could do. After five minutes of intense thinking he hurried to the Atrium. However, instead of his home he Apparated to Penelope Clearwater's.

* * *

The longhaired blonde girl was staring at the cloudless starry sky. She couldn't walk far from the Burrow without interfering with the shields, but no one stopped her from climbing out of the window at three o'clock in the morning. She sat down on the warm ground near the house, listening to the sounds of night. As she could tell, everyone else within several miles was more or less asleep. That was her favorite time of the day when she was alone with nature. She smiled, closing her eyes for a second. She could feel the rustle of treeleaves, the slight morning breeze, the shine of the stars, the breath of the earth... Suddenly, she felt a subtle sway of the air right behind her, which wasn't natural.

The girl was instantly on her feet, whipping around with her wand drawn. However she lowered it when she saw the hooded figure in grey.

"Ah, it's you," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"Very good, Celstice," the man's voice was as quiet as hers was. "Constant vigilance! You nearly got me. Next time, however, you should stun first without wasting time for identification. No one should be able to get to you from behind. If I was a Dark Guard you'd be dead already."

"If you were a Dark Guard, Stunning spell would likely be useless, anyway," the girl noticed calmly. "Good to see you again," she added out of the blue.

"The same to you," the man replied automatically. Brief silence settled.

The girl stared at her companion unblinkingly. 'Celstice' or 'Cel' for short was his pet name for her, and he usually used it when he was pleased with her, though not too often.

"What progress did you have?" he asked at last. "How is the search of the Pensieves – I mean Horcruxes?" he corrected himself.

The girl shrugged. "I tried to use the Search spell to get a direction but to no avail..."

The man nodded. "Obviously. Riddle might be ignorant when it comes to Arcane magic, but he is no fool in the field of defenses, especially while 'shielding' his soul," he muttered.

"Speaking of Pensieves, when did you meet Dumbledore last?" the girl inquired.

"Some time ago," he said distractedly. "It shouldn't concern anyone anymore."

"So you won't attend the wedding? I know, you like them," she asked sadly.

He sighed. "I'm afraid I have no time for it here. I actually dropped by to deliver you this," he extracted an envelope from under his cloak.

The girl looked at the crest in excitement. "This is from Tanya!"

"Shh!" the man hissed, looking around cautiously. Not listening to him, the girl opened the envelope, unfolded the letter and tapped the strange text with her wand. The fact that there was very little light didn't hinder her sight in the slightest as she saw the letters rearranging rapidly.

She scanned the long letter from her foreign penfriend briefly. Apparently there was a long tale about the recent curious going-ons in their school of magic. She'll have to read it later.

The cloaked man never tried to get a look at the letter. Not even he could underestimate the privacy enchantments of creative Russian mages. While he was able to block them, a little mistake could cost him too much to take a risk.

When she folded the parchment and put it away, he continued. "Though, I'm a bit curious about the recent defeat of Riddle's Dementors..." At the last word, the look in girl's protuberant eyes momentarily became fierce.

"Someone stopped the whole squad on their way to Surrey, possibly Little Whinging, and then got away with identity undisclosed. Any ideas, who it was?" he finished a bit sarcastically.

"Does it matter? Was it better to just let them prowl around?" The girl asked almost calmly. "Someone had to Teleport there and reduce their sinister potential. Aurors probably did the rest."

The man nodded. "Well, then, it's ­–"

"Just one more personal question," the girl promptly interrupted.

"Ask away, then, m'girl, ask away."

The blonde hesitated for a moment. "You see, it's about Harry," her voice became even quieter. "I know he spent a lot of time with Ginny last year but do you think –"

"That's a tough question, Cel," the man said slowly. "Maybe it's hormones. Boys at sixteen are likely to pay exceptional attention to their female mates..."

"I don't remember you paying exceptional attention to girls in your final year."

The man quickly raised his hand to his mouth to restrain laughter. "For Light's sake, Cel, you have no means of remembering it. For all I know, it was before you were born."

Having calmed down, he breathed deep. "The sun will rise soon. It's time. Go on, act as you see fit and don't let the things go out of control."

"Don't worry. I think I'm capable of handling it on my own," she said dreamily.

"Sehr gut. For I won't be watching every your step here. I have other jobs to do, you know."

"Oh, sure. Just should I call you in extraordinary circumstances or deal on my own?" she inquired.

"Use your imagination, Celesta," he replied after a slight hesitation. He had a strange feeling that he was releasing a genie from the bottle. After some thought, he added, "And quee queeful."

Celesta smiled brightly. "Qui queel."

* * *

Next day, Harry met Bill (whose good mood drastically contrasted with his scarred face), Fred and George (who offered him some of their recent inventions). According to Mr. Weasley, Charlie was going to come, too. There was still no word of Percy. And Fleur's family didn't arrive yet. According to the part-Veela, they were worried about a possible attack during the wedding and originally intended to arrange it in France, so it took some time to convince them to come to the Burrow.

Harry also saw several members of the Order. Apart from Moody, Tonks and Lupin there were Dedalus Diggle in his top hat and Hestia Jones, and a couple of men he didn't recognize, who spent most of their time in the underground HQ.

Lupin tried to approach him to talk about Dumbledore, but Harry was determined to finish the last night's Core council first. After they managed to get some privacy in Ron's room, they've spent their time composing the plan of actions (on Hermione's insistence). Eventually, they decided to tell the Order about Dumbledore and the man in cloak, but not give them the Pensieve. Harry also decided to decline the membership in the Order until they had all Horcruxes in their hands or destroyed. Hermione volunteered to help him with the Occlumency training, and Luna demonstrated a couple of new spells from the old notebook: "Elenesco", immobilizing spell which covered the opponent's limbs with a quickly drying lime-like substance and "Iskris frontis", the spell of Battle Spark which produced a hot, swift green energy charge. According to Luna, it could demolish a wall or simply knock down a man, depending on the need. Hermione was most fascinated that the power of the latter spell could be varied by its caster's will, and it wasn't necessarily dangerous. After a bit of persuasion, she agreed to secretly practice these spells, just in case, since they weren't Dark and the Death Eaters might be unaware of them. There were other spells mentioned on the remaining pages, however many of their descriptions were mostly gone and after the Half-Blood Prince nobody from the Core really looked forward to try them out.

Any escapades to Grimmauld Place or Godric's Hollow had to wait till after the wedding. Besides, Hermione was the only Core member, allowed to Apparate, though she let the others know that she indeed researched the Portus spell like Harry suggested, and in emergency could produce an illegal Portkey.

After the council Harry finally went to talk to Lupin. Other than the inevitable discussion of Dumbledore's secrets, there was another reason why he had to talk to the ex-teacher and preferably to him alone. It didn't take Harry long to find him down in the Order's Headquarters.

"Harry!" Remus greeted him amiably. "Please, sit down. I think it's time for you to make a choice," his tone became serious.

"Minerva undoubtedly has told you that we argued about letting you join the Order," he began. "Molly objected every now and then, but Tonks, me and Arthur have insisted that the ultimate decision should be left to you. Alastor wasn't particularly happy, but then, he wasn't happy with Dumbledore's placement of his memories, either. To be honest, it really took us by surprise. Of course, we aren't forcing you to divulge them to us, unless you decide so. Though Minerva expected that some of them might shed light on the mysterious paper we have found in the Headmaster's office."

"Can you tell me what was in that paper?" Harry asked. "The Pensieve did contain some implication, but I need to be sure."

"It was the list of teaching positions and the teachers for the next school year," Lupin answered. "Dumbledore wasn't very prone to abbreviations, yet there was the line: 'Defense Against the Dark Arts – G. E. (persuade!)'. We have no idea who can it be. Also, Horace Slughorn was still listed as the Potions master, and Snape's name wasn't mentioned at all," he finished thoughtfully.

"That's because Dumbledore trusted him too much and wanted him to do some work for him!" Harry couldn't help snarling.

"What work?" Lupin asked promptly.

"Never mind. I don't know exactly who this G. E. is, but quite a few of Dumbledore's memories included a strange short man in grey cloak who never shown his face. He seemed to know Dumbledore quite well and Fawkes too. Four years ago, he even managed to sneak into the castle one night without anyone knowing, and Dumbledore asked him –" Harry stopped. The last sentence has again brought up the memories of Sirius, and Lupin noticed it.

"I see. I'm sorry, Harry. So what do you think about joining the Order? If you believe that you are ready, then we shall accept you. Of course, technically you are a student but I promise you, you'll be allowed to know as much as any other member. I'll see to it personally if necessary," he said earnestly.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied. "But I don't think I'm really ready for this yet. Maybe later."

Lupin nodded in agreement. If he was disappointed, he didn't show it.

"I take it you don't want to share the information Dumbledore has trusted to you. I respect your choice but I urge you, if you'll have to leave on a trip like you had with Dumbledore, please, take at least one adult with you."

"Technically I will become an adult in a month," Harry noticed.

"I mean someone with enough experience to deal with danger," Lupin said seriously. "Me, Tonks, anybody you trust from the Order."

Harry thought a bit. "Speaking of the Order, I don't suppose you'll tell me the general situation we're at after the attack at Hogwarts?"

"Well, things look quite bad for us now," Lupin confessed. "The loss of Dumbledore as the strategic mastermind of the Order has reduced us to, let's call it the fully defensive side. After Greyback's capture – for which we have solely you to thank – I've managed to shift the werewolves to the neutral side, but I don't expect they'll fight for us right now. We would also really like to know who has scattered those Dementors near London. He or she must be quite powerful. The Aurors later managed to round up most of them. The Giants are probably laying low for now, we don't know where they hide. In fact," he snorted bitterly, "we stopped receiving any inside information on Voldemort's activities after Snape's turncoating."

"It doesn't sound _too_ bad," Harry muttered. "Well, not counting those recent disappearances."

"Yes, the Death Eaters' audacity has greatly increased," Lupin agreed. "We've managed to capture a few – and later handed them over to the Ministry – but they didn't have any important information. All we have learned is that there are quite a number of temporary hideouts and they constantly move."

"And has Voldemort ever been sighted recently?" Harry asked tentatively.

Lupin shook his head. "Neither he, nor anyone from his inner circle."

Harry sighed. "And what about the Order's losses? We haven't lost many people since that night, have we?"

"Fortunately we haven't. Otherwise we'd be pressed very hard to hold the Death Eaters at bay. If you can call it 'at bay'".

"What about the new members? I heard that some new people have joined us."

"Indeed. But there are only a few, those in whom we can fully confide," Lupin replied.

Harry then remembered about the other question he had for the Professor.

"Er, do you remember Florean Fortescue?"

"Yes," Lupin sighed. "He was a good man. Why?"

Harry then retold him the memory of Fortescue's death he saw in the Pensieve, his mention of Commander and strange man's brief mention of Florean.

"So I believe that Commander and this G. E. person are one in the same, and this is the man in cloak. But what I want to know, was Fortescue really a member of the Order?"

"No, he wasn't," Lupin said confidently. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Harry, it sheds a new light on this mystery. At least now we know where to look."

"There's something else," Harry continued. "Fortescue mentioned a woman called Florence, and Aunt Petunia said that my mother knew her at school and that Florence fancied Snape..."

Lupin looked at him with distant expression.

"Yes, yes. Florence was Florean's little sister. She was in our year, only in Ravenclaw. She and Lily were great friends... And not just them –"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia has said there were two other girls, Alice, and Annabelle Skylight, who visited their house during the holidays..."

Lupin's expression became reminiscent.

"Oh, yes. The four were great friends. Almost like we were," he whispered sadly. "I remember Sirius once, no, more than once, called them the Female Marauders, though they never were up to any pranking. That was when he was trying to get Florence to go out with him in fifth year. But she was one of the few girls who didn't fawn upon him and preferred Snape. The Slytherin student who never even looked at her unless she cornered him in the classroom… I don't think Sirius could simply live with it. He used to be the best at whatever he did – like James – and here some unpopular guy with greasy hair was getting what he hadn't. He never missed an opportunity to prank Snape afterwards, and not all of these pranks were harmless. In the end, he lured him under the Whomping Willow during the full moon..."

Lupin stopped short, as if he just noticed Harry's presence.

"I know this part," Harry said quietly. "I just never knew that all of it had happened because of unrequited feelings."

Lupin frowned.

"Not all of it. Sirius never liked Snape in the first place. Though it is true that unrequited feelings sometimes cause drastic consequences... Not always, of course. James pestered Lily for a long time and eventually achieved result. Obviously, it was a method of trial and error. In sixth year he once called her a Maraudress, for short of Female Marauder, and she told him to shove his arrogance up his... well, that's beside the point. He really shouldn't have pranked Annabelle the day before..."

"He pranked Luna's mother?" Harry asked quickly. Lupin shifted slightly.

"Well, she has always been a target for pranks with her slightly unusual look and, frankly speaking, sometimes weird behavior," he said a bit guiltily. "While my tutoring at Hogwarts few years ago I have noticed that her daughter has unfortunately taken a leaf out of her book, only hasn't made any friends..."

Now it was Harry's turn to shift uncomfortably.

"...while Annabelle had been an outcast in the beginning, but by the second year Lily and Jack were very protective of her..."

"Jack?"

"Jack Lovegood," Lupin smiled. "He was a Muggle-born and liked nothing better than playing Quidditch and solving puzzles. Annabelle's way of thinking fascinated him, I believe. To tell the truth, she was very intelligent and always had a faint aura of mystery around her. In fifth year, during one of the full moons, Wormtail saw her sitting under the Whomping Willow and reading a book! He was shocked seeing her there at such time and equally shocked that it didn't attack her at all... If I remember correctly, that night I felt strangely peaceful and didn't have as many injuries as usually in the morning... Lily later said that Annabelle had some experience with very advanced Arcane magic and even taught her some of it. Sometimes I wonder –" he broke off.

"And what about Alice and Florence?" Harry altered the topic, catching the meaning of his slip.

"Alice was one of Lily's other female friends," Lupin said guardedly, and Harry realized it wasn't the best choice of topic.

"Very talented, too. Sirius paid her some attention in third year, but it wasn't serious, forgive me the pun. Then Frank started courting her, and by the time of graduation they were a couple. Florence on the other hand was generally avoided by boys despite her attractiveness, thanks to overprotective Florean, though she wasn't an outcast like Annabelle. The two of them often argued about theory of magic..."

"And what has happened to Florence afterwards?" Harry asked.

Lupin sighed. "I don't know. We didn't contact a lot after Hogwarts. Well, except for Lily. She owled her, Annabelle and Alice quite regularly. And Florence obviously wasn't on the best terms with her brother so she left the country for a while. It happened shortly before... before that Halloween. I don't know if she ever came back."

He looked wearier then Harry had ever seen him. With a pang of guilt, he realized it must have been painful for Lupin to recall his schoolmates, with so many of them having perished in the first and now second wars.

He muttered some feeble apology and left the Headquarters, having learned a bit more than he wanted. Lupin's little slip was nagging him. He remembered Dumbledore's old explanation that his mother's sacrifice gave him the ultimate protection against Voldemort. Now he knew that Luna's mother's magic she had taught to his mother probably played its role too...

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly saw he just entered the room in the middle of argument between Ron, Hermione and Luna.

"...I knew she was related to Veela the moment I saw her!" Ron claimed.

"You make it sound like it's an achievement for you," Hermione huffed.

"And I originally thought she might be a Succubus," Luna made her input.

"Suck – what?" Ron asked in bewilderment.

"They don't exist!" Hermione said scathingly. "That's –"

"They do!" Luna has switched into her argument mode. "They are rare in the Wizarding World, I admit, but they're known for feeding on Muggles' energies in their sleep –"

"That's an occult myth!" Hermione's voice was rising.

Harry blinked, realizing that he had to do something and quickly, before the heated argument turned into a quarrel.

"They are real!" Luna stood up. "Mum specifically taught me how to repel them!"

Silence settled. Hermione previously heard that Luna's mother was an expert on advanced magic and used to work in the Department of Mysteries, so that statement caught her off guard.

"I think your mother was right," Harry heard himself saying. Everyone stared at him.

"Of course she was," Luna went on. "They are even worse than Nargles for that matter."

Hermione looked affronted.

"Er... and what are these Sucker Buses?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Harry, Ron!" Hermione seemed to have lost all words.

"The word is 'Succubus'," Luna corrected. "They are evil spirits and they usually attack during sleep and for some reason are attracted more to teenagers. They take appearance of a very attractive person of opposite gender and appear in the dreams of their victim, trying to seduce him or her..."

Harry thought of multiple times when Ginny appeared in his dreams last year, and turned away before the others could notice he was blushing.

"It happens because of hormones!" Hermione interfered and then suddenly turned pink.

"When it comes to wizards, usually it does," Luna unexpectedly agreed. "But better safe than sorry," she added with a mysterious smile.

"And how do you repel them?" Harry asked half-skeptically. _If Luna actually learned it from her mother, perhaps he might take some tips too..._

"The simplest way is tickle them."

Ron snorted. Then he cast a glance at Hermione, smirked and shifted closer to her.

Harry rolled his eyes.

* * *

Lord Voldemort turned to face his right-hand advisor.

"So you say we have failed because of that?" he hissed.

"Indeed, my Lord," Severus Snape bowed slightly. "I believe we should have followed the instructions and used the goat blood like was specified, not human."

"I see," the Dark Lord muttered thoughtfully. "I expected it could work as a better catalyst... Now we'll have to start all over. It will take some time to get another fresh Chimaera heart... And I want you to deliver the other ingredients as soon as possible."

"I shall, my Lord," Snape replied smoothly. "However as you know, some of them are not only rare but also can be collected only at specific time."

"I can wait a bit longer," Voldemort sneered, leaning on the back of his chair. "But this time nothing should be able to stop us! It would be ideal if we capture Potter before this attempt. He may be useful for us once again."

Snape shifted a bit uncomfortably. "I thought you wanted to deal with the boy on your own, Master. If only I had known –"

"I don't blame you, Severus," Voldemort spoke indulgently. "Fortunately for you. When the times comes, I'll get him myself."

"I don't think there will be any problems with the main plan," Snape said more confidently than before. "With Order disorganized, and without the knowledge of our intentions, they won't be able to interfere until it's too late."

"Indeed." Voldemort's mouth curled into evil smile. "I shall have success where Archmage has failed..."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Archmage? You mean Lord Grindelwald?" his voice quivered slightly in awe.

"_Baron_ Grindelwald," Voldemort corrected. "And I shall generously reward those who helped me with my plans. For now, I reward you with the honor of rather unusual secret task. No one else should know of it, not even the others from the Inner Circle." His voice became menacing.

"Of course, Master," Snape said quietly.

"I want you to go to London. I have hidden a powerful artifact there many years ago. The shields I've created are still in place of course, but I want you to check and enhance them with whatever you like."

His advisor nodded.

"Just don't try to touch the artifact itself," Voldemort warned. "Here's the location."

He touched the tip of his wand to his temple and then transferred the silvery strand of a thought to Snape's temple. Snape turned to look behind.

"Just one more thing, my Lord."

Then, without a warning, he lunged to the door and threw it open, jumping back just in time to dodge the Killing Curse from the Dark Lord's wand, which went through the doorway.

"I apologize for acting like that, Master," Snape quickly explained. "But I wanted to make sure that we weren't eavesdropped. Wormtail has been showing exceptional curiosity to my actions lately, and I thought he might accidentally have forgotten whom I was ordered to see today."

"No need to worry, Severus, nobody else is here," Voldemort said lazily.

"Then I shall take my leave and fulfil your task, Master."

Snape bowed once again and left the room. Voldemort turned away from the door, sneering. His advisor had no idea that he was being subjected to another test of his loyalty. Nor he knew that Wormtail was ordered to occasionally 'observe' his activity... and had his own activity occasionally observed too.

He wanted to call his pet serpent Nagini, however before he did, there were three short knocks at the door.

"Enter, Bella," he ordered without turning his head.

The door opened, and irate Bellatrix Lestrange walked in. She tried to mask her anger and knelt before Voldemort.

"Forgive me for disrupting your musings, Master," she began. "But Snape has just tried to leave the place without telling me where! And he said it was on your personal order!"

"I really gave him an order, Bella," Dark Lord spoke coldly. "Though I have to admit, I forgot I told you to check anyone trying to leave. He is free to go."

"If you say so, Master," Bellatrix said with a hysterical note in her voice. "But I can't help thinking it wasn't necessary to resort to his services. You know I would have done anything –"

"That's enough, Bella!" Voldemort said with the trace of anger in his voice. "I know perfectly well whom I can and cannot trust. However, if you're craving so much for a task, take our recent addition and place them into the lake in the cave. You are even allowed to check on what is hidden there, if you wish."

"I'm on it, Master!" Bellatrix stood up and quickly left the room. Voldemort frowned. Her attitude towards his judgement was beginning to really annoy him. He stood up and went out of the room. On top of the old cupboard a rat with the silver paw sighed in relief.

* * *

A/N: Phew. I didn't expect the chapter to become half that long, but the details kept popping and popping and popping up.

(3) I found out that this line is virtually borrowed from **Harry Potter and the Horcrux Quest** by **Meteoricshipyards**. Sorry, Tom, it has just crept into the text somehow.

Formula of Light 'Lux in tenebris', Battle Spark spell 'Iskris frontis' and the description of Succubi are borrowed from the books of Dmitri Yemets.

And for those who might have any doubts, Luna is NOT a double-agent.


	5. Chapter 4: The Wedding Feint

_A/N:_ I hope you won't start blaming me for the excessive OC-centering in the beginning of this chapter. I found that trying to cut it out would result in removal of one of secondary branches of the plot. And the wedding itself is unfortunately mostly glossed over, for I have no experience in describing that sort of thing and didn't want to copy someone else's description. Though this story is an AU now, I still intend to continue it and possibly will try to include some elements from the DH later on. Reports about any errors, be they grammatical, lexical or factual, are appreciated.

**Chapter 4: The Wedding Feint**

Luna Lovegood woke up from a strange dream. She promptly shut her eyes again to keep the image in her mind and reached for the dream diary she kept for the last month.

These weird dreams, more like visions, had started after Dumbledore's murder and their departure from Hogwarts. Many of them included her and that rather strange man in grey cloak – her Commander, mentor and godfather blended into one.

She started practicing Occlumency after her return home to stop it, albeit unsuccessfully, and decided to keep a track of these dreams in order to decipher their meaning eventually, for like her parents, she firmly believed that nothing in the physical world was beyond cognition.

When she finally stopped writing, she opened her eyes to read the summary of her dream and recall it completely...

_FLASHBACK_  
The barely visible shadowy figure was briskly moving through the Forbidden Forest. However, as it crossed a clearing, a group of ten centaurs emerged from the woods, pointing their longbows at the shadow.

"Show yourself, impostor!" the leader of centaurs ordered.

Next moment, the hooded man in grey cloak stepped out from the shadow and ten arrows instantly shifted to point at his chest.

"No humans are allowed in our forest any more!" one of centaurs shouted. "We shouldn't let him leave alive!"

"No one asked you, Bane!" the leader replied calmly, before turning to the man. "Go back now, human, and don't come again. Your kind is not welcome here."

"Return and be killed on sight!" Bane added.

"Stop now, in the name of Chiron and the Ancestors!" the cloaked man ordered curtly.

Centaurs stopped in their tracks.

"What do you know about Chiron, human?!" Bane exploded. "Who are you to appeal to his name?"

The man then slowly raised his hands to the hood and apparently opened his face for a brief moment.

At this moment Luna's observation point was positioned behind his back, so she only saw that all centaurs stepped back uneasily.

"I shall not disturb the denizens of your Forest," the man spoke in a voice, which seemed to reach out to the very soul of the listener, yet was strangely tranquilizing. "I merely came here to see the Asparas folk." (4)

Most centaurs seemed to relax.

"You are free to go..." the centaur leader began.

"But Magorian, he is –" Bane tried to object. Magorian gave him a stern look.

"...however it is hard to get there on foot now. Hagrid's Giant crushed many old trees recently, blocking the shortest path. There is another path which goes through the webs of Acromantulas in the heart of the Forest, but it is long and dangerous. You should better fly over... If you can."

Bane muttered something disapprovingly.

"Come off it, Bane," another centaur whispered. "Didn't you see his eyes? His _eidos_? How could you not recognize –"

"Shut up, Ronan."

The man gave no indication that he noticed their exchange.

"I see..." he sighed. "Good gallop to you, then, children of Earth." He turned to leave.

"Chiron sees you really know things about us, hum – er..." one of centaurs stumbled.

"I've studied many different cultures in my earlier years," the man noticed with a hint of pride in his voice.

_FLASHBACK END_

_Why would he want to see the Moon Fairies?_ Luna wondered. Then she remembered a few of her recent dreams and went several pages back in her diary. It wasn't the first time when her dreams included mentions of her little friends...

_FLASHBACK_  
The Hog's Head bar had only a few clients at the moment and none of them paid attention to the another hooded figure in grey cloak.

"Whatd'yu want?" the barman asked gruffly.

"Cherry juice," the cloaked man replied quietly.

"Wrong pub, guy. Go to Three Broomsticks. They might've some."

"And here I hoped that Albus would leave a bottle in the rear room," the visitor chuckled bitterly.

The barman instantly forgot about the dirty glass he was cleaning.

"Who're you?" he asked unfriendly while staring at the man. "I remember every single of Albus' guests."

"Of that I'm sure, Aberforth. I doubt you know my name, but perhaps... have you heard of a... say, person, called London?" the man began conspiratorially.

Negative shrug.

"Or maybe about Valyalkin?" he asked tentatively.

This time Aberforth gave him an unfathomable glare. "Valyalkin, eh? Why, aren't you that bloke who –"

"No!" the other promptly interrupted. He was already having second thoughts about mentioning this name at all. "Might have a connection, though," he muttered under his breath.

"Pity," Aberforth sighed. "Albus told me abou' him. He said this kid might even outshine the Scamander fellow one day, with his knowledge of Magical Creatures..."

The cloaked man snorted. "Back to the topic, what about the cherry juice?"

"Wait a sec," Aberforth left for a minute and then came back with a dusty bottle. The client reached into his pocket.

"If you're who I think you are, 'tis for free," the old man stopped him.

"Never mind," he placed two silver coins on the counter. "I'm not entirely sure who do you think I am, I only know for a fact who do I think I am though I do think I can guess who do you possibly think I probably am."

Aberforth looked slightly puzzled. "Oh."

"Joking apart, Aberforth, I came here to settle an important business," the man's voice became serious. "Can you tell me where one can find some... fairy pollen? For a price."

Aberforth's eyes narrowed. "We'd better talk of it in more private place."

"Don't worry, I have already conjured an unseen Privacy Dome around us. Anybody else would think we're talking of weather and Firewhisky prices."

"Quick thinking, guy," the old barman admitted. "You do know it's quite illegal?"

"If I didn't, I'd rather visit an apothecary."

Aberforth thought about the answer.

"Knockturn Alley's the best I can come up with," he said in the end. "Be wary though, there are a lot of fake things now, trust me. An' real fairy pollen isn't found often even at the black market..."

_FLASHBACK END_

Luna turned over another page to the next dream, which somehow happened to be a direct sequel to this...

_FLASHBACK_  
The Leaky Cauldron was completely empty except for the landlord Tom (_Uncle Tommy_, Luna smiled inwardly), as it usually was these days. The wizened old wizard sighed tiredly, mumbling something to himself about hope or, more probably, lack of thereof.

Deep in his uneasy thoughts, he almost missed the moment when a short figure in grey cloak silently entered the bar. Upon noticing it, Tom grinned widely.

"At last! Good evening, sir!" he greeted, his tiredness evaporating like a smoke. "It's been awhile. The usual?"

The cloaked man nodded. "Yes, Tomek, it should do."

"It's Tom, sir," the landlord corrected. "Or Tommy," he added with another toothless smile.

The man chuckled. "Now, now, Tomek, we are not in company. How would your esteemed Great Uncle have reacted if he heard you were turning away from your birth name? Aren't you proud of his heroic brother-in-law?"

Tomek shook his head while looking for a bottle with cherry juice. "Sometimes you trouble me. Just how much of my family history do you know?"

"Let's just say I've been familiar with the Noble and Ancient House of Caelumen for quite some time," the man said nonchalantly. "Lux aeternum est, isn't it?" (5)

"Et libera nos a malo," Tomek agreed. (6)

"Amen to that."

"Now that you are back, things are going to change for better, aren't they?" the landlord asked, finally having found the bottle and presenting it to the man.

"We can only hope, Tomek," the other replied mysteriously, extracting a couple of golden Galleons from his pocket.

"This is too much, sir!" Tomek protested.

"Not at all. Don't start telling me you have no problems running your inn with such a vast amount of clients," the other pointed around. "Consider it a payment for information if you will."

"What sort of information?"

The man made a slight motion with his hand, which looked more like an accidental twitch.

"About illegal dealers from Knockturn Alley."

Tomek blinked. "Hunting someone down?"

"More like something. Fairy pollen, Tomek – the real fairy pollen – to be precise."

Tomek lowered his eyes. "I'd be happy to help, but honestly, I don't think you'd find it there if you had all gold of Gringotts. Ministry's monitoring such things very closely now. I don't know for sure, though."

"Okay, Tomek," the man paused for a minute to finish the bottle. "I'll go then."

"Don't be a stranger, sir!" Tomek called out ambiguously.

Some half an hour later, the man in grey cloak was arguing with a suspiciously looking twitchy wizard inside a gloomy low building.

"Six hundred Galleons per ounce is my final offer," the wizard stood his ground.

"The price is adequate," the cloaked man agreed. "Now show me the item."

The other wizard flinched. Something about this hooded person made him incredibly nervous. He wondered for the fifth time whether it was in fact an undercover Auror who somehow tricked the detection spell...

He unwillingly extracted a tiny bag filled with the plain white powder. The other man tilted his hooded head to one side.

"Is this a pure fairy pollen?" he inquired calmly.

"Most certainly!" the twitchy wizard made his best to prevent his voice from betraying him.

"Speak the truth!" the man suddenly ordered. He didn't raise his voice, but it could probably freeze volcanic lava now.

The twitchy wizard instantly broke and started whimpering something about 'a bit of powdered bull horns'.

"In what proportion?" the other asked icily.

"One to one," the dealer breathed out in a condemned voice.

"One fairy to one bull?"

The cloaked man never received an answer because the dealer did the most sensible thing he could in current circumstances: he fainted.

The other closely examined the powder in the bag and then dropped it carelessly. "There isn't a gramme of it! Oh, Light, now I'll have to –"

_FLASHBACK END_

_Seek out my friends in the Forest, probably_, Luna thought. She shook her head. What was he...

This time the answer popped up even before the question was properly formulated: fairy pollen was a loose term for diamond powder, enchanted by the obscure magic of fairies. The resulting magical substance, although extremely rare, was included in Class C Non-Tradeable Substance because it was capable of disabling any sorts of magical traps and defensive enchantments, particularly the ones, placed on valuable artifacts...

"Morning, Luna."

Ginny woke up too.

* * *

For Harry and his friends that day was a hectic one.

They were helping with preparations for the wedding ceremony, aided by the twins and Charlie, who came to the Burrow by the breakfast time.

Several members of the Order were helping too. Lupin and Tonks however, had to leave temporarily, Remus said that McGonagall needed him to resolve some problem at Hogwarts and Tonks had her Auror's duties to do.

Luna offered Mrs. Weasley to help her with the cooking every now and then, only to hear thanks and the request to help with something else. At some point Harry noticed Moody's magical eye following her every movement about the room then switching to him when he stared at the ex-Auror for longer than several seconds.

He was coming upstairs when he stumbled (almost literally) upon the agitated Crookshanks. Hermione's ginger cat ran down as if chasing someone. Harry only shook his head. Crookshanks was behaving quite funny that day (possibly because of the common chaos), but particularly strange towards Luna.

"Don't worry Crookshanks, I most certainly isn't Mus Mickey in disguise," Luna vainly tried to calm him, when Hermione finally lost patience and seized her pet to take him to the room she shared with Ginny.

For some reason Crookshanks didn't calm down. He kept staring at Luna, then suddenly leapt out of Hermione's hands and ran up the stairs, meowing so loudly that he even briefly scared Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. Ron's little owl started zooming around the room chaotically, and even Nevermore who had flown early in the morning cawed loudly.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," Hermione said worriedly, having finally caught and restrained the hyperventilating cat. "He's been like this almost since arrival."

Having locked the meowing Crookshanks in Ginny's bedroom, they went downstairs where they discovered Mad-Eye Moody arguing loudly with someone through the locked front door.

"– and I tell you, I don't care if you are who you claim to be, if you weren't invited!"

"Oh, Alastor!" Mrs. Weasley hurried out of the kitchen. "Arthur probably forgot to mention, Croaker told him they would be coming!"

Mumbling something disapprovingly, Moody grudgingly unlocked the door and stepped aside.

Harry and Hermione stood rooted to the spot as Percy Weasley came in, holding hands with Penelope Clearwater.

"Didn't Ron say they broke up?" Harry asked Hermione quietly, so lost, that he was more surprised by that rather than the fact that Percy chose to show up at all. She shrugged, seemingly at loss, too.

"Oh, Percy!" Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around her prodigal son who looked very, very uncomfortable. "You came after all!"

Just then, Ron entered the room and gaped at his brother. "FRED! GEORGE!" he yelled.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley admonished her youngest son. "Behave yourself!"

"Hello, my dear," she then turned to the young woman at Percy's side. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Come on," Luna suddenly pulled Harry's hand.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

Luna smiled. "Nothing, really. I just think it's not very polite to intrude upon the family reunion."

"Oh," the realization dawned upon Harry. "You're right. Come on, Hermione. Let's tell Ginny."

Ten minutes later Mrs. Weasley finished instructing all of her younger children to behave properly towards Percy, unlike the past Christmas. The twins looked least happy about it, muttering something about such a perfect day being spoiled. In the meantime, Percy engaged in a quiet conversation with his father, and Penelope was chatting with Fleur.

Harry found himself in Luna's company, while Hermione and Neville were somewhere else.

He was just going to tell Luna about the memory of her mother he saw in the Pensieve, when she interrupted his thoughts.

"The motto is good in itself, but the way it was put on isn't..." she spoke thoughtfully.

Nonplussed, Harry looked up at her and saw that she was staring at the faint scar lines on his hand, left by Umbridge's quill.

"Hey!" He hid his hand behind his back. He had no intention of discussing the origins of these scars, now or later.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of, that this Umbridge lady used her quill on you too," Luna said softly.

"I'm not... Wait, what do you mean, 'too'?" Harry asked sharply. He really didn't like this turn of conversation. (7)

"Well, it seems she was rather fond of using it in her detentions..." Luna began calmly.

Harry instantly grasped Luna's wrist and examined her right hand closely. There wasn't a single scar.

"I'm left-handed, actually," she noticed.

Harry examined her left hand then. The skin there was equally scar-free. He looked up at Luna.

"If only you had asked back then, I would have gladly shared some of my healing solution with you," she said a bit guiltily. "I had some Chrysosanatic toadstools needed for it, thanks to my friends, and it really works against the Vampire fangs which are used for those quills, even without pixie dribble..."

Harry doubted that Umbridge's quill was made of a Vampire fang, but decided not to dispute Luna's theory. He briefly wondered about her 'friends', he was under the impression that she didn't have any outside the Core, but then let it go.

"It's okay, I used Murtlap essence though it clearly wasn't as effective as these Chrisosat – sanic –"

"Chrysosanatic toadstools. Was it Hermione's idea with Murtlap? She knows a lot about different medicines, but seems slightly wary of the remedies which weren't officially approved," Luna noticed.

"Yeah, she often sticks with the official instructions, not that I can blame her," Harry again remembered the fiasco with the Half-Blood Prince. "What did Umbridge make you write, anyway?"

" 'I mustn't argue with my seniors'. It's plain ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, if they are mistaken, how would they know it without us telling them? Daddy always lets me bring up my opinion. So does Mummy and –"

"She _does_?" Harry thought he heard her wrong.

"Harry, Luna, come on!" Ginny called them.

The guests began to arrive.

* * *

The inner shields were lifted for the duration of the wedding, and several guards from the Order were carefully monitoring the arrival of people to the magically enlarged Burrow. Hermione said that the wards around the grounds were controlled from the Headquarters in the cellar, probably day and night, having seen Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle, when they came up in the morning with dark shadows under their eyes. Ron, being a bit distracted, muttered something about the 'better use of the night', earning a slap from his girlfriend.

Fleur's parents were one of the first people to arrive. Harry first got to meet Fleur's little sister Gabrielle and, once she calmed down enough to get off him, their mother. The stunningly beautiful woman clearly had Veela blood in her, Harry noted, having regained his breath after staring at her penetrating blue eyes. Ron was dazed for a little longer, until another slap from Hermione helped to return him to his senses. Even Neville followed Madame Delacour with his eyes for several minutes.

Luna however wasn't affected at all when Fleur introduced her, and freely engaged in a conversation with the foreign woman, demonstrating an unexpected knowledge of French and earning an envious look from Hermione. Ginny quietly explained to Harry that Luna was raised in a multi-lingual family, apparently her grandmother came from France too. When Luna left, Madame Delacour started explaining something to her daughter, her calm voice now ringing with excitement, "Je suis sûre, qu'elle est partiellement le..."

Monsieur Delacour, meanwhile, was talking to his soon to be son-in-law and Mr. Weasley, who looked troubled by something.

"Why didn't your grandmother come for the wedding too?" Harry asked Gabrielle, who hanged around him most of time, much to Ginny's dismay.

"She waz unwell," the girl explained. "It 'appens to z'ose like her."

Harry didn't quite understand what she meant by 'those like her', the Veela thing maybe, but then decided not to pursue the subject.

Mr. and Mrs. Diggory arrived soon. Harry once again felt the stab of guilt, seeing that Mrs. Diggory looked at least ten years older.

_Get a grip on yourself, Potter!_ He thought angrily. It was all Wormtail's doing – and Voldemort's!

"Amos! Samantha! It's good to see you again!" Mrs. Weasley greeted them. Mrs. Diggory smiled feebly at her, and Amos Diggory looked pointedly at Mr. Weasley. He nodded, and they both went in the direction of the Order's Headquarters, followed by Mad-Eye Moody, probably to discuss some of the more urgent Order-related topics.

Then another family of Weasleys' neighbours came, the Fawcetts. While the parents joined the adult group, their seventeen-year-old daughter tentatively approached Harry and his friends. Harry had seen her at Hogwarts a couple of times but didn't remember as much as her name.

"Hello, Jane," Ginny greeted the girl a bit guardedly. "This is Jane Fawcett, she's from Ravenclaw and is in seventh year now."

"Hello," the girl eyed them all cautiously. When she looked at Harry, her eyes widened and then traveled to his scar. Harry wanted to roll his eyes in exasperation.

Ginny introduced everyone else to Jane. When she turned to Luna, Jane rolled her eyes, apparently just noticing her.

"Why did you have to invite Loony too?" she asked Ginny contemptuously, when Luna went to meet her father, and Neville approached his formidable grandmother, who just arrived to the Burrow. Harry's mood darkened at the mention of Luna's insulting nickname. He decided to himself that he didn't really like this Jane. Hermione frowned too.

"She is our friend," Ginny replied coolly. "Ask Hermione or Harry."

Jane's eyes widened in surprise and, if Harry didn't mistake, worry. He started wondering whether she participated in stealing Luna's things last year and before. Then he suddenly remembered that he still didn't talk to Luna about her mother, like he intended. He glanced at the blonde, who was animatedly talking to her father at that moment. He felt uncertain about interrupting their conversation, but then, getting acquainted with Luna's father couldn't be bad, could it?

He approached them, while Hermione started lecturing Jane about tolerance. Luna and her father apparently were discussing some mysterious creatures from _The Quibbler_.

"– too bad my Bollywoggle repellent still doesn't work like it should, perhaps we should try a spiked wine?"

"Snookums, dear, you know how you react to wine! There must be another way!"

Harry raised his eyebrows. He had no idea that Luna was allergic to wine. Nor he knew her unusual pet name.

"Oh, Daddy, and I forgot to tell you, Mr. Moody expressed interest in Ethereals! Though maybe it's because he's an Auror... Rotfang Conspiracy wouldn't want them to be found, would they?"

"It might be the reason," Mr. Lovegood said thoughtfully. "I'll put it in the next edition. I believe I'm also getting close to the true origins of blondes..."

"I've always wondered why the blonde hair are so rare," Luna noticed, brushing her own dirty-blonde hair from her face.

"And I've got an indirect evidence that Santa might really be an Eth," Luna's father whispered barely audibly. "In relation to the ancient prophecy –"

Harry coughed. While all of this was really fascinating and incredible, he didn't intend to eavesdrop on his friend.

Luna instantly turned to face him.

"Oh, Harry!" she smiled brightly. "I didn't hear you coming. I don't think you met Daddy, did you?"

"Good day, Mr. Lovegood," Harry said politely. Middle-aged man smiled at him. He wasn't old, yet the slightly tired and pained look in his eyes, and the several strands of grey hair made him look older, not unlike Remus Lupin.

"No formalities needed, young man," he spoke amiably. "Please call me Jack."

"Okay... Jack," Harry said uncertainly. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help overhearing those curious things you were discussing."

Jack Lovegood beamed. "It's just fine as long as you don't spoil my surprise plans for the next Quibbler edition."

"We discussed nothing secret," Luna said simply, yet with seemingly double meaning. "I was just telling Daddy about my latest attempt at Bollywoggle repellent. It's really amazing how just a few drops of pumpkin juice change their reaction. I remember, Professor Flitwick was quite perplexed at my Career Advice when I –"

"Hey, Harry!"

This time they were interrupted by Neville. Harry turned and saw him standing next to his grandmother.

"Oh, hello, Mrs. Longbottom," he heard Luna saying.

"Gran, this is Luna," Neville said quietly.

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Longbottom spoke, eyeing Luna intently. "You are just like your mother, dear..."

Then she looked up at Jack Lovegood and suddenly smiled.

"Jack! Long time, no see... Still running that peculiar journal of yours, aren't you?" She asked, shaking his hand.

"Why yes, Augusta," he answered politely. "Not quite what it was years ago, but still telling the public things they need to know."

They engaged in a social chat, quickly joined by the Fawcetts, and Neville pulled Harry and Luna back to Ron, Hermione, Ginny and slightly cowed Jane.

"Too bad Great Uncle Algie is in America," he sighed. "Otherwise he would have surely turned up too."

Harry wanted to pull Luna away to finally talk to her in private, but Ginny looked at them very pointedly, so he grudgingly decided to wait till after the wedding. Besides, although the number of guests decreased the chance of overhearing, he still couldn't talk freely with Jane or Gabrielle around. And Gabrielle, having previously heard Luna speaking French, quickly captured her attention with a series of questions. Harry didn't understand their animated chat, but heard words "Hogwarts" and "Beauxbatons" several times. Probably they were comparing their respective magical schools.

"Would you believe it?" Luna exclaimed happily when Gabrielle's short-spanned attention switched to her sister. "Gabrielle wants to attend Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons!"

"Really?" Ginny asked a bit worriedly. "I mean, it's good, but we don't even know if they'll reopen it or not!"

"I don't think they will really close the school," Luna shook her head. "Lady Isabelle said the Ministry tried it several times in the past, the last time during the terror of Grindelwald, but they never quite got through with it."

"Lady Isabelle?" Hermione asked uncomprehendingly.

"The Grey Lady," Luna inquired. "Baron Walter – the Bloody Baron – thinks the same."

"His name is Walter?" Ron frowned. "Isn't it that bloke, Walter Har– ouch!" he broke off when Ginny elbowed him hard. Jane looked at them curiously. Hermione glared at Ron.

"Might be related," Luna shrugged. "But I never asked. One should hear only his own story."

Hermione perked up. "Sounds like a quote... Where did you read it?"

" 'Chronicles of Narnia'. My favorite childhood book," Luna answered vaguely. "Daddy read it to me when I was six."

"But it's a Muggle book!" Hermione protested. Harry refrained from comments since he didn't know what exactly they were talking about. Ron, Ginny and Neville looked equally nonplussed. Jane, however, smirked.

"And here I thought your favorite was 'Alice in Wonderland'," she quipped. Hermione and Ginny both looked at her darkly. Hermione's hand traveled to her wand pocket.

"Not entirely true," Luna dreamily replied to Hermione's statement, seemingly oblivious of Jane's attempt to get to her. "Daddy always believed that Clive Lewis was more than a mere Muggle."

"Oh, Luna," Hermione rolled her eyes, clearly wanting to prove her point. "There are Muggleborn wizards and there are Squibs. No third option. If he were either, there would have been records. So, logically, he was a Muggle!"

Luna sighed disappointedly but, unexpectedly, didn't comment. Hermione, in her turn, huffed and reddened slightly, as if she said something obviously incorrect and just realized it.

"Oh, hello, Professor Lupin!" Luna called out suddenly. Harry turned around. Remus Lupin had just entered the room, and was shaking hands with Percy. If Harry didn't know better, he would've thought that Luna called him on purpose to divert the attention from Hermione's embarrassment.

Lupin walked over to them. While Harry and his friends were glad to see him back, Jane seemed mildly surprised by his presence.

"Why, hello again," he chuckled. "Impatient to hear the news from Hogwarts, I assume?"

"Among other things," Ginny piped up. Remus chuckled again.

"There's not much to tell," he said calmly. "Minerva wondered if I would consent to return to the Hogwarts' staff, either for my previous D.A.D.A. post, or Transfiguration. Needless to say that I declined."

"But why?" Ron asked stubbornly. "You were the best Defense teacher we had... Well, maybe not counting Moody. So what that you are a werewolf? You're not like this Greyback!"

Jane gasped. Lupin smiled wryly.

"Ron, you should know better than that, given the events of the third year," he said carefully, not going into details in Jane's presence.

"And was there anything else? McGonagall didn't call you to Hogwarts just to ask you, did she?" Harry asked.

"There was," he became serious. "But I'd rather not discuss it right now..."

"Remus! Back already?" Mrs. Weasley took a break from her efforts at the kitchen. "And where are –"

"Minerva won't come, she's got to sort out some paperwork and the accident with Trelawney, too," Lupin said offhandedly. "Was very annoyed about that, in fact. And Hagrid should've been here by now..."

Harry frowned.

"There was an accident with Professor Trelawney?" he asked slowly.

"Nothing serious, really," Lupin replied. "Probably just the stress. Not surprising," he sighed.

For a moment Harry suspected that Professor Trelawney might've made another true prophecy, but then unwillingly let it go. Even with her aversion towards the Divination McGonagall wouldn't ignore such a piece of information... At least he hoped so. Putting off his concern about Trelawney, he started worrying about Hagrid. The chance of being tracked and captured by Death Eaters was never low these days. _At least, Hagrid is a half-giant_, Harry thought, trying to convince himself that their 'biggest friend' was fine. _He can take out four or five of them and even bring them with him... unless they use the Killing Curse..._

His woes were interrupted by a commotion at the front door, as Mad-Eye Moody started arguing fiercely with someone trying to gain entrance. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory and Remus Lupin joined him. Percy followed them, and Mrs. Weasley retreated to the kitchen. Harry tentatively approached the doorframe, to see who was coming. Eventually, Moody grudgingly unlocked the door and let in dark-haired Tonks and several Aurors, of which Harry recognized only Dawlish. Upon seeing them, Percy suddenly paled and quickly sidestepped out of the room. Harry found it rather strange. Was he afraid of being seen at his home?

"What does it mean, Tonks?" Mr. Weasley frowned. "Why does the Ministry send guards to my residence without so much as informing me in the first place? I clearly don't remember inviting any, er, Ministry officials."

"Well, there was nothing I could do," Tonks answered tiredly as Dawlish extracted some official-looking parchment from his pocket and silently handed it to Mr. Weasley, ignoring the fierce glare from Moody. "Robards insisted that the presence of an Auror team should be obligatory, and it was the last-minute order. I was lucky to get assigned to this team at all."

Then she smiled at Remus and pulled him into the corner near Harry's position, away from Aurors and Mr. Weasley, who read the parchment with neutral expression on his face. Harry wanted to back away and give them some privacy, however he froze at a spot when he heard Tonks.

"The Ministry thinks that You-Know-Who is up to something," she whispered. "The frequency of Auror patrols has already tripled in the last three weeks. They expect Death Eaters to attack Ottery St. Catchpole tonight, but don't know how exactly..."

"Harry!" Hermione hissed, pulling him away. "Are you eavesdropping at the door?!"

"Ow, Hermione," Harry grunted, breaking free from her hold. "It was important!"

"All the same!" she continued. "You're lucky Mrs. Weasley didn't see you!"

"I'll agree about that," Ron piped up. "I mean, about being seen part," he quickly added under Harry's glare.

Ginny chuckled. Luna however shook her head disapprovingly.

"Wotcher, guys!" Tonks entered the room, followed by Lupin, her tiredness gone without a trace. "What this commotion is about?"

"Well, Harry –" Hermione began heatedly, but was unexpectedly interrupted by Neville.

"Harry and us wondered why you were arguing so loudly in there," he explained plainly.

Hermione gasped in indignation, but was silenced by a nudge from Ginny. Jane hesitated, obviously unsure about taking sides.

"Yes, I've just noticed some Aurors in there," Harry continued, inwardly thanking Neville. "What's going on?"

Remus and Tonks glanced at each other.

"The Ministry has decided to tighten the security here for today. Just in case, since there are many people present," Tonks spoke cautiously.

"In other words, they fear a Death Eater raid," Harry clarified. Ron and Ginny gasped. Jane shivered. Hermione frowned.

"If that is the case, then the Ministry would surely take all possible precautions, wouldn't it?" she vainly tried to hide the alarm in her voice.

"No need to worry," Lupin said seriously. "There are other Aurors outside the warded area. Now, why don't you go to the others, it's nearly time," he suggested in a lighter voice.

They headed out of the room, however Lupin put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Just a moment, Harry."

Harry looked at him, while Tonks ushered the others out.

"You listened at the door, didn't you?" Lupin said confidently.

Harry raised his eyebrows. He was sure they couldn't see him.

"Harry, I was your father's friend for years and one of the Marauders, too. I can tell when one does something he shouldn't, even when there is no solid proof."

"Well, I heard nothing we couldn't figure out on our own," Harry confessed. "It's bloody obvious that Voldemort would attack. The wedding is just a too good opportunity."

"We too have thought about it, Harry," Lupin noticed quietly. "Actually, we were preparing for the attack for weeks and should have managed even without Auror reinforcements."

Harry relaxed.

"And Harry..."

He looked up at him.

"Don't eavesdrop on us again, alright? If there's something you'll need to know, we shall tell you."

Harry's face darkened as he remembered turning down the suggestion to join the Order not more than one day ago.

Just then, another person arrived. This time Moody didn't argue that much, just asking a check question. The last guest turned out to be Hagrid.

"Terribly sorry," he said, panting slightly. "I've jus' bin lookin' fer Tenebrus all mornin'... Harry!"

He gave Harry a bone-crushing hug. "Glad to see yeh!"

"We've been worried about you," Harry replied, massaging his ribs. "We started thinking –"

"Hogwash. Tis' all Tenebrus, yeh know, my favorite Thestral. He's bin gone fer night an' day, and his mate, Whirlwin', was so worried tha' I thoughta someone might steal him. Good thin' he came back on his own... Never seen him goin' tha' deep in the Forest, though... It's not safe in there, wit' Aragog's children... Oh, and I saw this ol' car of Weasleys' flyin' over the Forest. Dunno, Arthur said –"

"It really shouldn't," Mr. Weasley said worriedly, coming in after Hagrid. "As far as I remember, the flying mode could only be triggered manually... I mean, it would take a driver –"

"Oh, an' this Firenze fellow asked me teh give a letter to yer friend, the Lovegood girl," Hagrid interrupted.

"Luna?" Harry asked in surprise. Why would a centaur send letter to a student, to Luna Lovegood of all people?

"Yeah, her. Some centaur star-tellin', I reckon. Tried explainin' it teh me, but I didn' get it."

"Well, come on, let's deliver it to her," Harry suggested.

"This way, Hagrid," Mr. Weasley led the way as Harry and Hagrid followed.

"How is Grawp, by the way? And Buckbeak – I mean, Witherwings?" Harry asked.

Hagrid beamed. "Grawpy's fine an' nice. I told yeh, he's a clever lad. An' Witherwings' got a bit unwell, yeh see, nuthin' serious, jus' needs teh lie down fer a couple of days. Ate somethin' wrong, I think..."

* * *

As they left the room, Alastor Moody followed them with his magical eye, before returning to his uneasy thoughts. He was deeply troubled. First the mayhem with reorganizing the Order and establishing the proper security after Dumbledore's murder, then the unknown rogue wizard single-handedly attacking the Dementors, now this enigmatic Commander from Dumbledore's memories... He reached for his pocket and extracted the Spectrespecs he confiscated the other day. Yes, and this. He triple-checked the item and could almost swear all the enchantment ever placed on it was a weak aura-detection, and it had gone out pretty long ago.

"Ethereal detector, holy crap," he muttered. This Lovegood girl couldn't have possibly known what kind of creatures the Ethereals truly were, or could she? He shuddered. Merlin forbid... but fortunately, it was highly improbable.

Still, he thought back to the old leak of information from the Ministry, caused once upon a time by the mysterious Lady Scar, and still occasionally recalled by the aging Aurors in his days. Certainly, her actions were morally justified albeit illegal, but...

He sighed, returning to the present. Something about this girl just felt _wrong_. And as usual, he trusted his intuition, like his old mentor Sir Richard Skylight had taught him more than fifty years ago. This approach allowed him to prevent countless disastrous situations in the past, though on the other hand he was never able to prove that they were really about to happen thus earning the reputation of utterly paranoid. And this time his intuition was ringing the bell again: '_something fishy is going on_'. For a moment he was almost sure that the girl was –

"Alastor!" the voice called out from right behind his back.

Before thinking, Moody whipped around, wand at ready, powerful spell almost unleashed then subsided once his magical eye identified the source of disturbance.

"Lupin!" he growled. "You're darn lucky I didn't hex you into oblivion! When will you learn, never try to sneak on me!"

"You just looked unusually deep in thought, Alastor, considering your 'constant vigilance'," Remus quipped.

"Verdant youngster! In my days, sneaking up on Auror was a quick way to part with several limbs!" Moody exploded. "Like Sir Skylight used to say, Auror without vigilance lives until the first encounter with a Dark wizard! Why, this Tonks gal and even this Dawlish are _nothing_ compared to him, and he was of Dumbledore's age when we met!"

Lupin raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, my mistake. Now, why don't you lower the wand?"

Moody grunted something about irresponsibility before complying, then pulled him to the Headquarters where they could talk freely without the risk of being overheard. It was almost his shift down in the cellar, anyway.

"Well?" he demanded, after securing the door with several obscure charms. "Anything about this Guy-Enigma?"

Remus shook his head. "I've checked with Minerva. Nothing."

"And the portraits? The ghosts?"

"And why not Peeves, too?" Lupin snapped, momentarily losing patience. "If he could sneak past Dumbledore's shields, you'd think he had seen to something like that!"

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "The portraits in the Headmaster's office know nothing. Or, rather, don't tell. Minerva asked them personally, but all they said was that he did come several times. No names, no clues."

"That doesn't exactly rhyme," Moody chuckled. Then he scratched his scarred chin, recalling all of his conversations with the late headmaster years ago.

"Now when I think about it," he began thoughtfully, "I do remember Albus mentioning him... Not by name, naturally... It happened back in the days of the first war, about twenty years ago. Albus did offer him to join the Order then, but he declined... We never met in person, I don't even think anyone apart from Albus met him, but the old man considered him _trustworthy_," Moody spat out the last word, "yeah, and he also believed Snape was trustworthy too, though I warned him more than once, yes sir, I did!"

Lupin looked down.

"We know almost nothing about this man. There's no telling whose side he is on, but I believe –"

"AND MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE!" Moody roared. "We can only trust facts, not theories! Unknown should be treated as hostile unless the further information is available!"

"According to Harry, Fawkes was friendly towards him. And Phoenixes don't behave like that in front of the Dark wizards," Lupin noticed.

Moody stopped his rant, as an elusive idea began to form in his mind. Something, unifying all known facts, but very unclear...

"And Florean was a good man, unlikely to follow a potential Dark Lord, at least willingly. He wasn't made a Gryffindor Prefect for nothing. And he did resist Veritaserum and possibly the Imperius curse..." Lupin continued.

Moody waved him off, then suddenly noticed the Spectrespecs he still held in his left hand. His remaining eye widened.

"Alastor?" Remus asked worriedly, having noticed the sudden change in his countenance.

Mad-Eye looked straight at him with both eyes.

"Remus Lupin, I think there's something I should tell you about, just in case if something happens to me," he spoke solemnly. "With Albus gone, you'll be the second alive Order member to know it, although illegally..."

* * *

"Malfoy! What are you doing here?" Wormtail hissed, looking around in search of escape route.

"I may ask you the same question," Draco said harshly. "You aren't supposed to be here either. And you've been behaving strangely for some time already."

"What are you talking –"

"Your yesterday visit to the quarters of the Dark Lord, for example," Draco replied impatiently. "Yes, I spotted you scurrying out in your rat form when he, as I know for a fact, was elsewhere. Now try to prove you weren't spying on him!"

"Who should be speaking," Wormtail sneered. "Why were _you_ there, I wonder?"

"I can think of an explanation, unlike you," Malfoy bluffed. "And I believe we are in a position to make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" the other asked cautiously.

"First, let's move to a less compromising place," Draco carefully looked out of the almost empty storage of Dark artifacts, currently unoccupied by anyone but them.

After making sure that no other Death Eaters or Nagini were around, he quickly moved to a dusty broom cupboard, trying to make as little noise as possible. Wormtail reluctantly followed him. The place could hardly be called 'less compromising', but at least it was less likely that someone would stumble upon them there.

Having nonverbally Vanished several broken brooms and squeezed in, Draco closed the door after Wormtail, praying that it wouldn't creak. He didn't risk casting any other charms to hide their presence, inside the Dark Lord's main hideout it could only cause the opposite effect, even though the Dark Lord himself was currently absent.

"So what about the deal?" Wormtail hissed impatiently, clearly wanting to get away as quickly as possible.

Malfoy shifted his wand to make it point in Wormtail's direction before replying.

"I need your help to free my mother from the Dark Lord's guards."

"You're insane!" he gasped, trying to break out. Malfoy clutched his silver hand firmly, pressing the tip of his wand to Wormtail's stomach.

"You're turning your back on the Dark Lord!" the ratlike man whispered in horror.

"Perhaps, if I told him about your, er, recent activity, he may not just forgive but also promote me," Draco tried to keep his voice passive, as if talking of something insignificant. "I could use that..."

Wormtail flinched.

"Okay, I've got the point," he snapped in irritation. He also muttered something in which word "Slytherins" was distinguishable.

For the first time since the battle at Hogwarts, Malfoy smirked.

"At least I live up to what's expected of my House, unlike you," he quipped.

"Watch your mouth, boy! If it wasn't for me, the Dark Lord wouldn't have regained his body!" Wormtail snarled.

"And rumor has it, that you returned to him only out of fear. And I even heard that you've managed to owe Potter a life debt in process."

"Who said that?!"

Draco quickly put a hand to his mouth. Last thing they needed was being caught.

"Doesn't matter," he replied, not willing to let it out that it was his godfather. "So how about the deal?"

Wormtail flinched again. It was clear that he didn't want to make a step out of the line, but Malfoy has put him in a difficult position...

"Alright, as long as your plan is smooth enough," he forced out in the end. "What exactly are you up to?"

Malfoy again smirked victoriously. He knew he would get Wormtail on his side eventually, it just was a matter of persuasion. And like he said, he wasn't in the Slytherin House for nothing.

"I'll need your help mainly to get to the Manor. Aunt Bellatrix won't return to her post until tomorrow, and Yaxley isn't half as vigilant."

"Can't you Apparate yet?" Wormtail quipped vindictively.

"Of course I can, but I'll need to get out of this pris– this hideout and walk far enough to avoid detection. That's where you come into play..."

Draco explained his relatively simple plan to Wormtail, feeling much less confident than made himself look. _Should we be sighted_, he thought, _we'll have as much chance of a mere survival as Loony Lovegood has of becoming Potter's fiancée_...

* * *

With security measures tightened, the wedding ceremony went well. Too well for Harry's liking. There was no sign of coming Death Eater attack the whole time. For the fifth time he wondered, what did they miss? His dark mood had passed on the other members of the Core, except Luna. The other Weasleys and guests were oblivious for a while, but after some time, even Aurors from the Ministry started getting too tense, probably thinking along the same lines as Harry. Members of the Order seemed calm and joyous on the outside, and Harry could only wonder how they really felt.

Mrs. Weasley was constantly congratulating Bill and Fleur, all disagreements with her daughter-in-law forgotten. Her happiness was lighting the uneasy atmosphere considerably. With tears in her eyes, she wished them to have a big and happy family, and to remember this day for the rest of their lives.

Madame Delacour and her husband also congratulated the couple. Harry suspected that they also suggested them to move to France, his suspicion soon confirmed by Gabrielle. The girl was trying to ease the grim mood of older teenagers, and involved Harry and Ron in a chat about Veela and the advantages of having one in the family, earning angry looks from both Hermione and Ginny. Luna, meanwhile, went back to her father, who in his turn wished Bill to "make sure you know your wife well".

Percy was standing next to Penelope, still trying to keep away from Aurors. The looks he was giving his elder brother could be described as a mix of happy and envious.

Mrs. Longbottom, Diggorys and Fawcetts wished newlyweds long and prosperous life, though Mrs. Diggory almost ruined the fragile cheerfulness by wishing that their children could live in a calm and safe world.

After that, the light mood of the party did fade somehow. Harry again remembered that Death Eaters would attack them at any moment. He looked around. Mr. Weasley and Tonks still maintained their happy-calm exterior, but Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle started showing the signs of worry. Lupin and Moody were nowhere to be seen. Harry wasn't even sure if they showed up at all.

"Did you see Professor Lupin?" he asked Hermione. She shook her head.

"No. I saw him last when he stayed behind with you."

Wondering where he could go, Harry remembered another thing.

"Hey, Hagrid!" he called the half-giant, who was busy with trying to avoid bumping into any of the guests, for their sake.

"Yeah, Harry?"

"I think it's time for the letter," Harry reminded him.

"Blimey, the letter!" Hagrid exclaimed, clapping a hand to his forehead. He searched the many pockets of his coat and extracted a crumpled envelope. " 'Scuse me," he grunted, making way towards Luna and her father, who alone seemed to remain in genuinely high spirits.

"Hello, Professor Hagrid!" Luna greeted him.

"Hagrid! It's been almost sixteen years since we met last, on Old Hallow's Eve," Jack exclaimed cheerfully, volunteering to endure Hagrid's powerful handshake.

"Well, hello, Jack, eh, hello, Luna," Hagrid shifted uncomfortably. "Jus', no 'Professor' word, alrigh'? Hagrid's jus' fine."

"Well, hello, Hagrid," Luna amended lightly. "I didn't get to attend your most recent lessons, but the other students say they're very exciting."

_That's an understatement of the year_, Harry thought. Even if Hagrid didn't ask Grawp to join the lessons after all...

Hagrid beamed.

"Thank yeh much fer tha', I've bin hearin' some call 'em dangerous," he sighed. "That's fer yeh," he gave Luna her letter.

"Firenze's asked me teh deliver, said it's very important. I've never bin any good in Divination..."

"But I'm not awfully good in it either," Luna noticed. "Thank you for bothering."

She took the letter and put it in her pocket.

"Tis' no bother," Hagrid objected. "Owls aren't safe now, with Death Eaters an' the Ministry –" he halted, shooting a cautious glance at the nearby Aurors, who fortunately didn't hear his last words.

Jack gave him an understanding look and started a conversation about rare Magical Creatures, more than half of which were unfamiliar to Harry. Hagrid got very interested in some creatures Jack called 'Reapers', and Harry inwardly prayed he won't obtain one for the next year. Even though they weren't attending his lessons any more, there were still students from the other years who might have to fight for their lives.

Luna didn't look so interested and absently walked aside, humming some melody quietly.

"Hey, Luna," Harry approached her, leaving Ron, Hermione and Jane arguing with Gabrielle. Neville looked at him quizzically. Ginny frowned.

"Yes, Harry," she smiled at him.

"Did you, perchance, see Professor Lupin or Moody?" he asked, already mildly disturbed by their absence.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nay. But they might be busy keeping up the shields... not that it's really necessary –"

"How can you say it?" Harry exclaimed in a shock. "Death Eaters –"

Luna looked up at him. There were no signs of worry in her wide silvery eyes, just a little sadness.

"I don't think here will be any attack at all..." she began serenely. "Too much time has passed already, they have had an opportunity but didn't use it..."

Harry didn't agree with her, confident that Voldemort just wouldn't miss the chance to get to a number of his enemies at once.

"Oh, come on, Luna!" he began hotly.

"Well, if you ask me," she replied calmly and then suddenly took hold of his hand. "Where are we going?"

Harry was dumbfounded. He didn't actually mean _going_ anywhere, but when Luna put it that way...

He wiped the confused look off his face and led Luna to the rest of the Core plus Jane and Gabrielle (who, however, argued about some girly things at the moment). Ginny openly glared at Harry, and he finally guessed that she was probably irritated with Luna holding his hand. He immediately pulled it from Luna's gentle grasp, feeling uncomfortable and slightly guilty.

"Luna thinks the attack at the Burrow is improbable," he muttered apologetically.

"It would be great," Ron noticed wistfully. "It's not everyday your brother is getting married..."

"Especially considering the number of your brothers," Jane suddenly piped up. Harry started contemplating casting a Silencing Charm on her. Ron reddened.

"Jane," Ginny spoke seriously. "Do you know what's your main problem?"

The girl instantly backed away, apparently just noticing the common unfriendly reaction. Having managed to annoy her hosts, she sidestepped away from Harry's group towards her parents.

"Good riddance," Hermione sighed tiredly. "She is one of the most annoying people I've ever met, including McLaggen! I wonder how can you be friends with her, Ginny."

"I wouldn't call her a close friend," Ginny said grimly. "We're neighbours, and Mum and Dad invited them all. I don't even think she believed that You-Know-Who was back before the Ministry confessed about it!"

Neville snorted.

"It's not all her fault," Luna spoke softly. "It might be the upbringing that made her so limited. I noticed that her mother doesn't like to think for herself either."

Harry agreed with that. Luna might be too open-minded and occasionally extravagant, but she was clearly wiser than most people thought her to be. If only she was wise enough to not misjudge dangers...

"Luna," he said strictly, determined to explain to Luna her mistake. "You're right, we all should think for ourselves, but we should also figure the actions of the others. And ignoring the risk of attack isn't the best way to do it."

"How can you not see it?" Luna was genuinely surprised. "If Death Eaters really wanted to attack the Burrow, they would have done it already."

Hermione shook her head. "Harry is right, Luna. We can't know what time they deem 'appropriate'. So we have to be prepared at all times."

"I wish you were right, Luna, I really do, but if the Order believes there will be an attack, I think it will," Ginny said regretfully. Ron nodded.

Neville remained silent, possibly agreeing with them but not wanting to upset Luna.

* * *

Remus descended back into the Headquarters, having searched the grounds inside the shielded area.

"Well?" Moody asked him grimly, having locked the door behind him.

Lupin shook his head. "Nope."

"He is not here," ex-Auror muttered to himself. Lupin gave him an apologetic look.

"You're leaning over the edge, Alastor. You have no proof," he said gently. He was skeptical of that theory in the first place but abided his request to check the area.

"And no proof of the contrary," Mad-Eye snapped.

"Such criteria may apply to half of the Order," Remus still tried to reason with him.

For the first time, the aged Auror wavered.

"Then why my instincts tell me...?" he began a bit uncertainly.

"Eh, Alastor..." Lupin wasn't quite sure himself what he was going to say, when Moody interrupted him.

"Yes, yes, I know, 'it's the usual Mad-Eye barking', sure thing! Sir Skylight and Wells would've rolled in their graves if they heard it, Merlin's beard!"

Suddenly the detection spell at the door produced a bright red flash.

"Remember," Moody said quickly. "The secret remains a secret only until it's told to a third person!"

Lupin nodded, waving with his wand to undo the locking spell. Few seconds later they heard a loud _CRASH!_

"Tonks," Lupin and Moody said in unison.

"Hi there," the dusty and disheveled Tonks wheezed, stumbling upon the threshold but managing to maintain balance. "I forgot about that box with Advanced Sneakoscopes..."

Remus had to hold Mad-Eye to prevent him from lunging at her, so the ex-Auror resorted to the well-chosen strong words, some of which made Tonks not just blush but accidentally change the color of her skin.

Having conveyed his opinion about clumsy women who damage the valuable equipment, Moody finally asked: "What did you want?"

"I just wondered where Remus went," Tonks whispered timidly, "Headquarters was the first place I thought of..."

"Let's go back to the celebration," Lupin said softly and put his hand on her shoulder. Tonks relaxed slightly, and her skin reverted to the normal color. _Red doesn't really suit her_, Remus thought privately.

Once upstairs, they noticed that Harry and his friends were animatedly discussing something. Having caught the word "Eaters," they glanced at each other and approached the group of teenagers.

"...on the other hand, it can be a psychological attack," Hermione spoke reasonably.

"Wotcher, kids, what are we discussing?" Tonks asked, seemingly having recovered from Moody's verbal assault.

"Probably the impending attack," Remus said quietly, so only Tonks, Harry and five of his friends heard him.

"We're wondering," Hermione began uncertainly. "Luna does have a point. What are they waiting for?"

Remus frowned. It worried him too. "I'm afraid I can't answer – and not because of secrecy," he replied honestly. "If I were them, I'd –"

What exactly Lupin would have done in Death Eater's shoes, Harry and the Core never learnt. Just then, there was a loud _BEEP_, and a ruffled brown owl flown inside, dropping a letter in front of Dawlish.

All talking stopped. The Auror frowned and quickly opened the envelope. Upon reading the letter, his eyebrows went up, and he paled.

"Proudfoot, Tonks, Savage, Vane, we're leaving," he commanded abruptly.

"What's going on?" Arthur Weasley asked in alarm.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't concern your Department, Weasley," Dawlish replied automatically, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"What's going on?" Percy Weasley suddenly asked, having approached the Auror for the first time.

Dawlish looked up at him, as if just noticing.

"Er, I'm sorry, but –"

"I am the Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic," Percy spoke with authority in his voice, surprising many of the present people. "And I demand to inform me!"

Auror's face contorted. "There was a massive Giant attack."

The silence exploded.

"Where?!" several voices cried in unison.

"All over the country."

"So it was a feint," Luna Lovegood muttered so quietly, that nobody heard her.

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange had nearly finished her work. Transporting several dozens of Inferi to the protected cave wasn't simple and took a whole day. But she didn't mind in the slightest, after all, the Dark Lord himself instructed her to hide there their 'most loyal soldiers', as she called them. In fact, quite a number of those corpses came from either Mudbloods and their families, or even Muggles. A few came from Aurors, fallen Death Eaters and even the members of that accursed Order of the Phoenix. She was mildly amused at the thought of the dead, fighting against their former comrades. While the corpses were vulnerable to fire and could be dispelled, their numbers would make up for it... soon.

She sighed. The totally unexpected loss in Surrey had cost them about a half of their Dementors, and was one of the reasons why they didn't try to attack the residence of Weasleys during the mass gathering today. Though the Dark Lord believed that such attack would be expected anyway, and it would be prudent to send all their forces elsewhere. Bellatrix suggested to attack the place with some of the remaining Dementors, however, she had to be sincere to herself, even she feared that the unknown wizard would show up once again and ruin everything. Then the piece of cake would turn into ravenous manticore, figuratively speaking. And with the second loss of these fearsome wraiths, they would be pressed quite hard to replenish their troops quickly. They had already lost werewolves after Greyback's capture, although the Dark Lord considered breaking him out of Azkaban. Vampires were still trying to make them accept their terms in return for an alliance, and Goblins flatly refused siding with anyone of the wizardkind.

However, the Giants could be a very effective substitute, once used in an unprotected location. Bellatrix almost wished she could be there to participate in the fun. She had always enjoyed having and using power over the weaker, especially when it came to these Muggles which, in her opinion, had only one thing in common with the wizardkind, the human appearance.

She regretfully woke from her dreams about attacking and torturing Muggles. _Not now._ _There are more urgent things to do!_ She will need to work hard to regain her position of the Dark Lord's most trusted lieutenant, currently taken by that upstart Snape. If only it wasn't for her weakling of a nephew...

Having got through the hidden entrance to the cave, she lifted the detection magic on the surface of the lake and started linking her final party of Inferi to the alarm spell. The process itself wasn't very difficult, but took quite a lot of time. And then there was the final part of checking the shields on the personal possession of the Dark Lord...

She glared contemptuously at the sandy-haired boy at her feet, whose blood she repeatedly used to open the door. Sixteen, or seventeen-year-old half-blood wizard (_effectively half-human_, she thought), recently captured with his family, wasn't of much use, but now Bellatrix was glad they didn't kill him right after the practice and the fun part, like many of the others. He would help her to come through the Dark Lord's ultimate shield before taking his place in the lake, next to his parents...

She smiled cruelly. She didn't have that much fun almost since torturing the Longbottoms. While the forbidden potion wasn't the Cruciatus Curse, the thought of pain it would inflict drove Bellatrix to ecstasy.

Having quickly dealt with the remaining Inferi, she wiped sweat off her face. _Soon. Soon this legion of the dead will rise and march against the enemies of the Dark Lord. Even if the resisting wizards survive, they would be weakened for enough time for the Dark Lord to finish the Rite. And then nothing would stop them..._

She frowned momentarily. They still needed more bodies for a massive Inferi attack... Perhaps she should ask her master to let her go on a solo body-hunting... For example, visit that Mudblood Lovegood, who broke the story about the Dark Lord's return year and half ago. He and his dotty daughter would make such a nice pair of Inferi... Then she suddenly shuddered, having accidentally recalled Lovegood's late wife. Bellatrix had always felt antipathy towards that Skylight girl at Hogwarts, and whenever she saw her penetrating silvery eyes, she wanted to be somewhere far, far away. Good riddance the weirdo was dead for years... She unconsciously rubbed her fingers.

Turning back, she levitated the immobilized boy into the summoned boat and sat in it too. The boat started moving across the black lake towards the rocky island. Having reached her destination, Bellatrix levitated the boy next to the basin with poisonously green liquid. Grinning evilly, she canceled the Body-Bind Curse. The boy was wandless and very weak, and could hardly even get up on his own. However, having regained the ability to move he still tried to attack his tormentor, though Bellatrix had no difficulty in stopping him with a kick to his ribs and Incarcerous spell. The boy groaned and muttered something inaudibly.

Snorting, she conjured a cup and filled it with the greenish substance. Then she pointed the wand at the boy and cast the Imperius Curse. Quite unexpectedly, he still tried to resist, but in his weakened state soon gave up. He obediently drank the contents of the cup and promptly fell to the ground.

Growling in displeasure, Bellatrix refilled the cup and forced him to drink. Her victim twitched in pain. Upon drinking another cup, the boy gasped, "No!"

"Yes," Bellatrix purred, forcing him to drink one more cup. He moaned and tried to roll aside, as if the cup and its contents were burning him.

"_Crucio_," the Death Eater couldn't resist the temptation. The boy screamed, his pained voice echoing throughout the vast cave.

"And that was just a taster," she said maliciously, refilling the cup again and forcing it into his mouth. Several more cups, several more screams, each louder than the previous.

"LET THEM GO, YOU BASTARDS!" the boy yelled at the top of his voice after the ninth cup.

"I'll show you bastards," Bellatrix hissed, firing a very painful spell at him. "You'll regret you didn't die sooner, little twerp!"

By the twelfth cup the boy's screams became fainter as he was barely breathing. _Perhaps I won't even have to kill him_, she thought in disdain.

Having finally emptied the basin, she turned away from the unmoving boy and looked into the basin. Then she froze.

_The basin was empty._

It took her several seconds to register this information in her brain, as the anger slowly began welling up. _Who dared to steal the Dark Lord's locket?! And how did they manage it?!_

"_ACCIO LOCKET!_" she roared, making a rapid circle motion with her wand, just to make sure. Obviously, nothing happened. Seething with rage, she jumped into the boat, casting a spell to make it move faster. _The Dark Lord will be furious! And the thief should count himself dead already!_

Reaching the bank, Bellatrix threw the vial with blood at the rock to reopen the passage and stormed outside. She had to relay this news to the Dark Lord immediately!

Should she be less angered, she wouldn't be leaving in such a hurry. It wasn't until later that she remembered she didn't reactivate the detection spell and had left an unconscious but still alive boy on the island back in the cave...

* * *

Explanations:

(4) Reference to the fanon **Luna's Year** by **michelle-31a**.  
(5) "Light is eternal" (Latin) - Caelumen family motto.  
(6) "And free us from the evil" (Latin) - another Formula of Light by Dmitri Yemets.  
(7) Count this a reference to **The Price of Defiance** by **michelle-31a**.

Chrysosanatic toadstool (don't mix up with Chrysosatanic) is an original ingredient, but possibly the same Luna was carrying in HBP.

The quote from the_ Chronicles of Narnia_ may be not exact, since I don't exactly have the book at hand.

_A/N:_ It seems that this story's plot has essentially entered the stage of self-developing, so there will be new twists, like an appearance of an entirely new (well, not quite) side of the conflict. It wasn't originally planned, however... the story overruled me. Previously planted pieces of mosaic combined into quite unexpected picture...


	6. Interlude: The Emergency Conclave

**Interlude: The Emergency Conclave**

_Far away from the Burrow, about three weeks before the wedding_

A hooded figure in grey cloak was briskly walking towards the old coal mine, closed years ago after the construction of a modern nuclear power plant. Ignoring the 'NO TRESPASSING' sign, he unlocked the entrance with a flick of his wand. Another flick illuminated the dark tunnel in front of him.

Having passed two side galleries, he turned to the right and then to the left, going two floors down. Eventually he stopped in the middle of the passage and turned to examine the wall.

"_Veritas visualis!_" he ordered in a slightly accented voice. The previously solid stone wall flickered for a moment and then faded out of existence.

The man carefully entered the new passage, making sure not to touch the walls, and walked the tunnel to a room-sized stone chamber, dimly lit with the light coming from a hole in the ceiling.

Considerable part of the catacomb was occupied by a crude stone table. But the man's attention was not on it. The ten figures in similar hooded grey cloaks stood around the table, facing him expectantly. He silently raised his right hand, palm forward, then placed it to his chest in oath gesture. The other ten mirrored his actions before conjuring seats and sitting down.

"The emergency gathering of the Conclave of Elders," the arriver spoke. "Called due to information of a great importance, provided by our agent in the British Ministry of Magic."

"It must've been important, if you've convened us all here in this hole, Timur," one of the ten said dryly.

"But it is, Jake," Timur replied guardedly. "To put it short, there has been an attempt to create a _rift_."

Several other figures shifted uncomfortably.

"A _rift_?" An agitated female voice asked loudly. "Now? Centurries after ze last time?"

"Yes, Xavia," a young voice said slowly. "I vas the one to relay it to Timur. I think you heard of the Dark vizard calling himself Lord Voldemort?"

None of the gathered people gasped at the name, but one interrupted the speaker.

"And you think it was his doing, Viktor?"

"Who else could have done it, Seth?" Timur asked reasonably.

"We cannot leave such a th'ing go uncheked!" Xavia exclaimed. "I vote for ze action!"

Timur sighed. Xavia has always been way too emotional, being born werewolf, an almost unique case, considering why she was chosen for the Conclave, but not altogether impossible. Because of that, she was more hot-tempered than most and always looked forward to fight, except for the period of the full Moon.

"I don't think we should meddle," the deep voice countered. "I have talked to the Spirits before coming here, and acting right now brings no good to us."

"Bonemasterr!" Xavia growled in exasperation. "Do you realize zat zis magic is morre dangerous th'an yourr Voodoo dolls an' needles?"

Timur frowned. African Voudoun Shaman, known commonly as Bonemaster, was one of the wisest and most powerful members of the Conclave, and his opinion weighed a lot.

"She is right," another voice spoke sharply. "I talked to the Ancestors too, and my vote goes with hers!"

"Th'ank you, Keesh," Xavia said gratefully. Jake huffed indignantly. Timur wanted to roll his eyes. It was easily predictable. Keesh Red Feather, the representative of Native Americans, almost always supported Xavia.

"We mustn't be rash," another person decided to pacify the argument. "Otherwise we may cause an even worse disaster."

It was predictable too. The Brahmin priest from India with a long name, whom his colleagues nicknamed Gandhi for his peacekeeping tendency, had lived up to his namesake's non-violence principle. But everyone on the Conclave knew that 'peaceful' wasn't synonym to 'harmless', though Timur didn't want to think what efforts it might take to invoke his wrath.

"I second that, Gandhi," a quiet voice with Oriental accent added. "I say we all should see the information for ourselves."

_Chen Xao Tsing, from Far Eastern sector. Known for his cautiousness, but occasionally making unexpected suggestions, unlike Gandhi._

"As you wish, Chen," Timur said calmly. "Viktor?"

The youngest active member of the Conclave stood up, extracting a tiny glass sphere from his cloak. "That's from Shamrock."

He placed it at the middle of the table. The sphere lit with bright blue light as the man's urgent voice came from it.

"Our suspicions have been confirmed," he spoke rapidly as if afraid he won't have enough time. "We really detected a dimensional rift five days ago. They want to hush it and take the Vow from everyone. Here's the aura specimen. I'm sending it before they see…"

The voice broke, and then several other faint voices filled the chamber.

"…it is as we feared, the dimensional rift…"

"…the very spell from the fifteenth century…"

"…it's a miracle it didn't go out of control…"

"…obviously You-Know-Who's work…"

"…must remain secret. Unbreakable Vow from everyone…"

The voices faded, then the sphere glowed once more before fading, and with a loud _crack_ shot a blue lightning at the ceiling. The rain of blue sparks went down on the Conclave members, who didn't even flinch.

"Are there still any doubts about the rift?" Timur asked rhetorically.

Grim silence was an eloquent answer.

"So the today's question is clear: should we take countermeasures and, if yes, what exactly shall we do?"

"Ve haff to act," Viktor spoke urgently. "I assure you all, this is more than a problem of Europe, it concerns the safety of the 'houle world. Vith Dumbledore's passing –"

"I disagree," said one of the men who remained silent so far. Timur recognized Klaus from Australasian sector. "It is well known that uncontrolled rifts do dissipate, although very destructively, and the possible threat can't be greater then, say, from Muggle atomic weapons."

Timur grimaced. Technically Klaus was correct, however the timing of his statement implied that he was willing to let the disaster happen…

"Zat's a different matterr, Klaus!" Xavia voiced his thoughts. "You make it sound you care only about yourr remote continent!"

"Xavia!" Timur had to call her to order. She glared at him from under her hood.

"We need more information before acting," Seth said resolutely. "Suspicions aren't enough."

"_Suspicions?_" Keesh repeated in surprise. "Did you not sense –"

"About the perpetrator's identity," Seth clarified.

Timur glanced at the only person who didn't say anything yet. He shifted, obviously wanting to say something, but Jake spoke first.

"I have already said it before, we need to be more active," he said discontentedly. "That's not quite what I had in mind, but as much as I don't like it, I'm forced to agree with Red Feather – this time."

Timur closed his eyes, not knowing whether to feel relieved or not. His Deputy, Jake Smithson from North American sector, has been a solid supporter of active (and occasionally aggressive) interaction with the rest of the world, Wizarding and Muggle, but many of the other members suspected – and not without reasons – that it was part of his struggle for power.

"You always fought for domination, Smithson!" exclaimed the last member, Abdullah Faruq ibn Khayrat from Middle Eastern sector. "It's a common knowledge you're after Timur's post! The interference would help you with promotion, won't it? I vote against!"

Timur's shoulders sagged. That wasn't what he had hoped for. Though he could have guessed, after all.

Even in front of the obvious threat, politics still determined much in the work of the Conclave despite the Bill of 1770, which made compulsory the ability of each member to rein his or her pride for the sake of their charges. Jake, while fitting that requirement and being quite smart, seemed to believe that he knew better how the Conclave should work, thus getting in fierce arguments with Abdullah, Keesh and sometimes even Chen. Viktor, being chosen at the age of twenty, usually preferred to support his expansionistic views, much to Timur's chagrin. Xavia and Keesh generally supported each other, but respected Timur's opinion. Abdullah and Chen usually did as well, since their sectors were adjacent to his own. Seth and Klaus behaved independently, and Gandhi tended to assume neutral, arbiter-like position.

All in all, everyone tried to remain loyal to the fundamental principles of the Conclave, but naturally everyone had his or her own vision of them. However, today Timur had an impression that the only other members who truly realized the full gravity of the situation were Bonemaster, despite his negative vote, and possibly Viktor.

"I'm most disappointed that our opinions turned out so divergent," he spoke, summing up their statements.

"And I urge everyone to think twice before confirming your votes. I myself, putting all things into consideration, vote for taking preventive measures. Yes, Abdullah," he turned to the Iranian wizard, who wanted to say something. "I am willing to subdue my personal feelings and political sense for the safety of our world. And I ask all of you to remember the reason why we are here, on the Conclave, for only the decision of majority will determine our course."

The other members were silent for a while, clearly digesting his speech. Finally, Abdullah slowly spoke.

"I don't like opposing you, Timur, but I decided that my vote stands. For the greater good."

Chen sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "I was taught that caution is the mother of rightness. Forgive me, Timur, but what you propose sounds reckless."

"Rreckless! You've got it all upside down," Xavia couldn't help herself. "It's insane to stay idle, brozerrs! My vote stands too."

"We still have no proof exactly whose doing it was," Seth replied calmly. "We might end up going after the wrong wizard, sinister he may be. Unless we learn more, I say no."

"Him or not him," Keesh began coldly, "It is the worst possible time for stalling. If we don't raise our heads today, we might be unable to do so tomorrow. I sense that things are more complicated than we think. And I don't care about your vote, Smithson, I speak only for myself."

"I've got nothing to add," Jake replied guardedly, with almost untraceable hint of restrained anger in his voice.

"I repeat, it is the global problem," Viktor said worriedly. "Klaus, Bonemaster, you've got to see it!"

Klaus shook his hooded head, turning to the younger man. "The rift doesn't threat the world's safety, Viktor. Surely the local Ministry of Magic is already tracking down the one who attempted it and is taking counter-measures of its own. Interference would be more of a trouble than worth, I believe."

Timur glanced at Bonemaster. His vote might be decisive…

Old Shaman stood up.

"The Spirits do not lie," he spoke in a strangely distant voice. "This rift brings no evil. For that alone, we must not move. But if I heard this wizard was doing something like the Dark Rite to unleash the Unnamed, I would have judged differently."

Timur nodded thoughtfully as the Shaman sat down again. Whenever Bonemaster fell in one of these trances, his claims always proved true in the end… And now the Conclave's decision once again depended on Gandhi's…

The Brahmin sighed deeply. "It seems it is again up to me to decide. But before some of you accuse me of cowardice, let's face the unpleasant truth. What can we actually do? The last expedition didn't return from Mexico yet, but there is one chance in a thousand that they succeed. The previous one hundred and twenty six expeditions didn't. And until then, any attempt at interference would bring grave consequences for both our charges and us. All of you know it. It's for the sake of our people that I vote against active investigation and interference today."

Timur closed his eyes to relax, before standing up.

"Then the decision is reached and our meeting is finished," he said tiredly. "May the Highmaster bless our judgement."

"Amen to that," the others chorused. If Timur hadn't imagined it, at that moment the beam of light coming from the hole in the ceiling momentarily became brighter… Though it might've been just a cloud moving away from the sun.

The wizards were leaving the Conclave chamber in groups. Gandhi, Chen and Abdullah departed first. Bonemaster, the oldest member bar Timur, disappeared so quietly that even he didn't notice it. Seth Disapparated alone once exiting the mine. Klaus went to get his Portkey back to Sydney.

"Who cares fer th'ose expeditions?" Xavia grumbled, briskly walking away with Keesh at her side. "We still have ourr wands and teeth' – I mean, wits… Th'ank you fer support, anyway."

"No problem," Keesh replied grimly. "How's Xeno, by the way?"

Xavia chuckled.

_An Amazon in every sense of the word_, Timur thought, looking in the direction where the werewolf and her companion gone. And Keesh had always defended her… Sometimes Timur suspected they had some kind of relationship, not that it was his business…

Turning back, he saw that Viktor stayed behind while Jake left.

"Is there something else you'd like to tell me?" he asked.

"No," the young man replied darkly. "I fear ve decided wrong."

Timur shared his apprehension but wasn't willing to let it show.

"Sometimes I understand royalists," Viktor continued, "The Conclave might need an iron grip…"

_As long as it's not Jake's_, Timur thought privately. _Some ideas he proposed… Like using that 'M' device he invented years ago. Viktor was probably playing Eths and Dementors with other kids back in those days…_

Though personally he wouldn't have minded if the Conclave was once again controlled by a strong and charismatic personality with deep sense of justice, like Lady Scarlett in the middle of the nineteenth century.

"If only the _twelfth_, lifetime member was still with us…" he whispered. The rules of the Conclave clearly stated that in case of even votes one of the members had to reconsider or recall his or hers. And in the unlikely case when no one agreed to, there was also a never used option of summoning the unofficial _thirteenth_ member, whose vote nobody could dispute...

"Vat?"

"May the Highmaster's grace be with us," Timur said abruptly. "If you learn anything else about this rift business, feel free to report."

"One last question," Viktor spoke very quietly. "Should ve inform –?"

Timur's grip on his wand tightened. That was the very question he hoped to avoid…

"I know!"

He took a breath to calm down. "But since the decision changed nothing, I think it's unnecessary."

Viktor looked straight at him, and for a moment Timur thought he could see right through his trepidation. Then he looked aside.

"Fine."

Five minutes later nothing in the mine gave away any sign of human presence.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the OC-ness. This episode was planned before the DH and remained mostly unchanged. I contemplated making it a separate side-story, but then decided to blend it between the 'real' chapters. It will become of significance later (and possibly give some food for thought now :) Just a word of advice, don't expect seemingly obvious.


	7. Chapter 5: Losses and Gains

A/N: Here's the next chapter, as promised. Consider it a late Christmas / early New Year present if you will. Reports on any flaws or OOC are appreciated as always.

WARNING: From now and on, there will be DH spoilers!

**Chapter 5: Losses and Gains**

He cautiously approached the iron-wrought gates and was already rising his hand to pass through when suddenly a short figure in hooded grey cloak separated from the hedge and silently made a move towards him.

In an instant, his wand was drawn as he quickly hissed the spell…

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

The figure narrowly dodged the Stunner, catching his wand at the same time.

"Quiet, Draco Malfoy," the person whispered, raising a hand in stopping gesture. "We have already little time, no need to draw extra attention."

The voice sounded slightly familiar, though Draco couldn't place it yet.

"Who are you?" He hissed, trying to subtly close the distance enough to lunge for his wand.

"Shh. Not now," the other whispered then unexpectedly tossed his wand back to him. "You have to return as quickly as possible. Bellatrix Lestrange will come back sooner than you think."

Malfoy had just picked up his wand from the ground and nearly dropped it again. "What do you know about it?" he carelessly raised his voice.

Without answering, the person suddenly stepped forward and gripped his arm, pulling him into a shadow. Draco gasped in pain when thin fingers accidentally touched his Dark Mark. However he put a hand to his mouth when a masked Death Eater appeared from the gates, looking for the source of noise. Although Malfoy was using the Disillusionment Charm, the way the cloaked person could see him before indicated it wasn't as good as he had hoped…

The Death Eater used a Lumos Spell, pointing his wand in several directions, but still didn't notice them. He shrugged and retreated inside.

"See? He almost caught you," the cloaked person whispered reproachfully. Draco noticed that the voice sounded feminine.

"Who are you? How did you learn about my plan? And Aunt Bella? And how did you get here at all?.." he began, trying to keep his voice down. At the same time he was forcefully rubbing his arm.

"It's strange you didn't guess, son of Lucifer," the female chuckled quietly.

Draco frowned at this, suspecting that she was mocking him. He made a move to take the hood off her face, however before he did, she gently took hold of his marked arm.

"So you have it already," she began thoughtfully. "I may not do much, but –"

She halted for a moment. "But I may make it come off in time". Draco looked at her incredulously. What was she talking about?

"It's going to hurt for a while, but I speculate you'll like the overall result," she said solemnly, placing her hand over the Mark. "_Et libera nos a malo!_"

This time Draco was ready the pain and wasn't disappointed in his expectations. It became searing, almost like when the Dark Lord summoned his minions. He had to bite his lip.

"What the –" he grunted, when she put a finger to his lips.

"Have patience. Now, if you don't go back, your absence will be noticed and you and your family will perish. You must wait. It's not the time yet to openly defy Riddle."

With these words, the mysterious lady stepped back, away from the drive-way. Just then, Draco heard a rustle somewhere nearby and promptly ducked, only to realize few moments later that it was an albino peacock inside the grounds.

He turned back to where his unexpected ally just stood only to see that she was gone. He didn't hear the steps or the crack of Disapparition.

However if what she said was true, he didn't have time to ponder this mystery. If she knew about Bellatrix being absent that night, he saw no reason for the girl to lie about her early return. _It seems I'll have to wait for another chance_, he thought miserably.

He quickly Disapparated, inwardly cursing his insane aunt.

* * *

For Harry, the rest of the evening was a blur. He was vaguely aware of the guests rapidly leaving to check on their families, and of Remus Lupin and Mr. Diggory disappearing with one of the new Order members to help Aurors deal with the consequences of attack. Bill wanted to go with them, however Fleur's vice-like grip and few French words quickly made him change his mind.

Then Mad-Eye Moody appeared out of nowhere, instantly taking charge of the situation at the Burrow. While Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie were casting additional protective charms by his order, 'just in case', Mrs. Weasley ushered Harry and his friends upstairs, telling them that there was nothing they could do, and it was the best for them to wait and call it a day. Ron however started arguing, while Neville flatly told his grandmother he was staying with his friends. Harry briefly noticed Luna and her father quietly talking about something when a silver lynx ran through the wall, stopping in front of Moody.

Mrs. Weasley then forcibly took them upstairs, but Harry still heard the Patronus speaking in Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice that the situation with attacks was getting under Aurors' control and Death Eaters had mostly retreated. Once his mother went back, Ron extracted an Extendable Ear out of his pocket, but Hermione gave him a strict 'no' glare.

Besides, Mrs. Weasley soon doubled back and they grudgingly had to go to their rooms, Neville having to share with Fred and George.

It took Harry some time to finally fall asleep, and not just because of the eventful day or Ron's angry muttering. His scar, rather predictably, started tingling. Naturally, when his tiredness got the better of him his dreams were disturbing to begin with, but at some point the dull pain became searing, and then Harry saw the image of a trembling kneeling man.

"Repeat it again!" he ordered in a high clear voice.

"M-my Lord," the Death Eater whimpered. "They've – the Ministry – appear to have caught Thicknesse in act…"

"Idiots!" His fury rose exponentially. "That was the worst possible time!"

"My Lord, how was I to know that Shamrock would throw off the Imperius Curse?" the Death Eater tried to defend himself. Wrong move.

"_Crucio!_"

The man screamed and fell on the floor, writhing in pain.

"If he was more resistant than the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, you should have dealt with him right away, Yaxley! Now you did not only compromise yourself but thrown the plan months back, and even the success of Dolohov and Rowle won't compensate that! You are extremely fortunate I've made a contingency plan."

He lowered his wand before looking right in his servant's terrified eyes.

"This Shamrock must be removed and replaced with someone else for a while. As soon as possible! Fail me again and it will be for the last time. Once it is done, Selwyn will try again. Runcorn and Umbridge won't hinder him, will they?"

"Certainly not, my Lord. Lucius had mentioned that their families are related," Yaxley piped up, clearly happy to be able to provide some information.

"Ah, our not so useful friend, Lucius…" Harry said coldly. "I hope he won't be too disappointed if I don't hurry with liberating him. There are more useful people locked in Azkaban, yet…"

Just then, the door opened and a disheveled dark-haired woman entered the room, followed by angry Nagini who was hissing obscenities about impatient sluts. He frowned in displeasure as Bellatrix Lestrange knelt before him.

"Master," she began with a crazed expression on her face. "Forgive me… it's extremely urgent!"

He could sense her hidden fear as well as impatience and anger, too.

"Off you go, Yaxley," he dismissed the other Death Eater with a wave of his hand. "Count yourself lucky the punishment won't be immediate. But don't think I will forget about that."

The man quickly left the room, immensely relieved.

"My Lord," Bellatrix whispered, not daring to look up in his eyes. "The locket is gone! I've searched the whole cave, I swear it just wasn't there! Someone stole it!"

A surge of rage rose within him, mixed with a tinge of panic. Nagini quickly slithered under the cupboard, sensing his anger, and he hardly subdued the impulse to cast the Killing Curse on his servant._How it was possible?! Nobody knew where his Horcrux was hidden except for Bellatrix and himself! Could it be that –_

"Master," she dared to interrupt his thoughts. "Has anybody alive been there other than you and I? Did you show anyone else…?"

"Certainly not!" he spat in fury, rising his wand. "Unless it has been the nosy old coot!.."

_Dumbledore could've found out about his past, located the cave and got inside, and might've sacrificed someone to temporarily remove the potion…_

"Please, Master, do not hurry to assume the worst," Bellatrix's tone changed from scared to uncharacteristically caring, which disturbed him somehow. "There is still hope –"

Then she suddenly gasped, clutching her hand as if something burnt it. Nagini hid deeper under the cupboard and hissed something like "fire".

"What's this, Bella?" he asked coldly, his interest slightly piqued, despite her shocking news.

"M-master," she grunted in pain, rapidly pulling a simple ring with ruby off her finger. "I've… made a mistake…

"This little item was supposed to be my gift to you, for freeing us from Azkaban back then… But I was so happy to be back at your service again that I have forgotten about it until this night. I'll accept whatever punishment –"

"Later, Bella," he replied impatiently, angry at the distraction. "Finding whoever took the locket is much more important! Nobody steals from Lord Voldemort!"

_He couldn't tell her the truth about the Horcrux; it was enough that she had another one hidden in her family vault…_

"My Lord," Bellatrix once again risked her master's wrath. "Could whoever was used to place it in there –"

Her question momentarily caught him off guard.

"Of course not!" he sneered at her stupidity. "Inferi had seen to it. No house-elf could have lasted for long."

Lestrange's eyes narrowed. "And whose elf was that?"

"Your family's," his temper flared in disgust. "That ungrateful traitor Regulus gave it to me, running off not so long after that –"

He stopped as a terrible suspicion began to form.

"Kreacher?" her eyes widened. "But last year he looked perfectly fine…"

The wave of fury that followed this revelation was so excruciatingly painful that Harry woke up.

"Harry?" he distantly heard Ron's worried voice. "Are you alright, mate?"

He opened his eyes to see the blurred face of his best friend. Pushing away the head-splitting pain, he quickly put on his glasses and got up.

"Is it You-Know-Who?" Ron whispered. "Did you see something?"

"He knows," Harry said hoarsely, pressing his hand to the forehead. "That locket's gone missing. He's going to find out who took it."

Ron paled.

"And he's planning to kill someone. Someone important in the Ministry…" Harry took out the Pensieve and quickly placed his fading nightmare into the basin, feeling slight relief.

"Should we get someone –?"

"In the morning," Harry replied. He hoped it wouldn't be too late by then, there wasn't much he could do right at the moment…

* * *

The dawn found its way into the suburbs of a small town. The birds greeted the sunrise with chirping and several sparrows flew away from their perching place on a cornice, scared by a big crow. The black bird flew past the inconspicuous old door in a deserted yard and landed right in front of it.

Next moment, the bird vanished to be replaced by a formidable-looking woman with long black hair. She raised her hand and knocked the door several times.

For a minute there was no indication that anybody heard her. Then she spoke sharply:

"I know you are here. Open up!"

Few moments later, the door creaked and opened slightly, showing a glimpse of a dark, dirty room. The dim light made it impossible to see if anyone was there inside, but the woman still addressed someone unseen.

"Let me in and do the check inside. There might be people looking."

With it, she entered the room. The door closed behind her, several locks clicking ominously.

She didn't try to reach for her wand when an old thin man appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Identify yourself," he said hoarsely. The woman spoke up.

"I am Florence Fiona Fortescue, crow Animagus, sister of Florean Fenix Fortescue, daughter of the wizard Fernand Fortescue and Muggle Fiona Smitley who were killed by Death Eaters in 1978…"

The old wizard shook his head. "Not quite good enough. Too many people know this."

"…shortly before our **_ge_**thering," Florence added pointedly, intentionally mispronouncing the word.

The wizard stared at her with his almost transparent wide eyes for a few seconds.

"So… Good love –"

"– is light sky," Florence promptly finished. "And happiness is a Swedish sunset. It's me, Orson, it's really me." (8)

She then raised her right hand palm forward and then placed it to a chest. The ring she was wearing glinted in the shadows. The old man relaxed, but apparently a bit too soon. Next moment, Florence's wand was pointed at his head.

"Not so fast, Orson," she said snidely. "Now it's your turn."

The man sighed deeply and mirrored her gestures.

"I am Orson Onyx Ollivander, professional wandmaker, son of Onyx and Aurora Ollivanders, Orville's older brother…"

"Not quite good enough. Too many people know this," Florence smirked.

"I remember every single wand I've ever made," Ollivander continued. "Yours for example, is chestnut and dragon heartstring, ten and a quarter inches, feisty and promising."

Florence relaxed slightly, but didn't lower her wand yet.

"And during your Animagus training you were assisted by –"

"Enough! I believe you," she interrupted, finally replacing her wand. "I had to make sure, though. You've been missing for almost a year."

"In fact," Ollivander chuckled bitterly, "I barely avoided being captured right in my shop. Thanks Light I had the cloak with me that night... But they are still after me. And every time I move, it takes them less and less time to pick the trail in spite of all the protective charms I use."

"Now to think of it," he glanced shrewdly at the woman. "How _did_ you find me? What did I miss?"

"_His_ techniques," Florence said solemnly. "I've got a lock on your eidos and followed the trace."

Ollivander's eyebrows shot up.

"Where are my manners, let's come in, there is no need keep standing next to the door."

As they entered the tiny cupboard-sized bedroom, Orson patted Florence's shoulder.

"You're more accomplished than I've thought," he said admiringly. "To locate the soul of a person you haven't seen in ages…"

"I've been stimulated," she replied mysteriously. "After several failed attempts."

Old wandmaker gestured her to sit down, taking place next to her.

"Now that we have settled the matter of identities, may I hear the reason behind your unexpected visit? Not that I mind, quite opposite in fact, but you wouldn't have sought me out of sudden if something important wasn't going on."

"Indeed," the woman said dryly. "You've missed quite a lot, hiding in this…"

She halted, catching herself.

"I see," Ollivander said tiredly. "You appear to think that I'm cowardly dodging the war and running for my life. Believe me, if only I had the power of my father Onyx or grandmother Justicia, I wouldn't have had to leave Diagon Alley. But as it turned out, my strength is waning. If it wasn't for Commander's warning –"

Florence gasped.

"Did you just say what I thought I heard, or was I bitten by a Wrackspurt?"

Old wizard again raised his eyebrows. "I think you've heard me perfectly."

"I've seen him last a year before You-Know-Who's return," he added, guessing her next question.

She let out a breath.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" she quietly asked no one in particular, sounding hurt. "Have I done anything to question my loyalty?"

The wandmaker flinched.

"He must've had his reasons," he answered uneasily. "I can only speculate…"

"Answer me now!" she ordered, raising her voice.

"Don't take it badly, Fortescue," Orson began cautiously. "But it does seem possible to me that all these losses – and yes, about Florean I know – might have driven you slightly… well, unstable…"

The woman jerked for a moment before sitting back. Ollivander pretended he didn't notice tears welling up in her chestnut-brown eyes.

She blinked several times and forcefully rubbed the ring with emerald on her finger.

"Servo fidem," she whispered at last. (9)

He put his hand to her shoulder. "I only did what he requested of me. I'm sorry –"

"It's not your fault," Florence interrupted, quickly regaining external confidence. "So did I. Now, I have received a message for you from the Conclave…"

Ollivander gave her a sharp look.

"_I_ didn't initiate the contact, if that's what you fear. But they knew we were friends before and expected me to know where to find you. Actually Ian hinted that Viktor told him discreetly that Timur decided to keep the whole thing down, so it's rather unofficial."

She paused. Ollivander's face remained calm as he waited for the message itself.

"Apparently You-Know-Who tried to open a dimensional portal few weeks ago, fortunately without success. The Conclave was very disturbed, but the majority decided to abstain from interference. But _some_ of them think that all twelve members should have voted… or at least known about it," Florence finished.

Orson frowned. "I think I can see why Timur kept it secret… And I'm not sure if we should carry on this request, though the situation is serious indeed. Something needs to be done but alas, there isn't much we can do…"

"_Unless the prophecy comes true_," Florence intoned dramatically.

He looked up at her.

"There is one more thing, Orson. Last night… it has awakened!" she slowly raised her hand with the ring. The emerald glittered, catching a rogue sunbeam.

He sighed. "Do you still wear it all the time? Not even Annabelle –"

"I won't remove it. And won't let anyone else to. You know well enough that this is the Ring of Faith!"

Ollivander shook his head in exasperation. "You've got faith enough for four as it is. Sometimes I think you should've been in Hufflepuff House."

"Sometimes I think so too!" she snapped. "I believe Commander was right and shall do whatever is necessary to speed up the coming of what was predicted! Even if I have to summon him to me!"

"Your faith alone can't do this," the wandmaker noticed.

"I know it," Florence replied, a bit downcast. "But if I collect all rings…"

"And even if you had all four, then what? I myself wonder who had started this myth. You, or was it Annabelle's idea? No magic of yours can force _him_ to do anything let alone come from wherever he is. You'd sooner raise Lady Scarlett herself!"

"You didn't create the rings!" she snarled. "You don't know what they can do in the right hands!"

She breathed deeply to calm down. "There is more to them than just their singular unique properties. I should know…"

She halted for a few moments before quoting quietly:

"_Ring of Light – to plastic Water, To banish shadow and cool anger,__  
Ring of Faith – to stout Earth, To uphold through all the hardships,__  
Ring of Hope – to burning Fire, To root out the despair,  
Ring of Love – to sweet Air, To warm hardened hearts of people…_"

"Assuming you are right," Orson began, deciding to stop the argument, "how do you plan to find the missing ones?"

Florence stared at the emerald for several seconds, before muttering thoughtfully. "The Hope is in Lestrange's possession. Must have been since that attack… I'll have to track her down somehow. And I'm unsure where the Love is. I think I've sensed it only once since the backlash on that Halloween…"

Then her face brightened. "Perhaps Annabelle's ring might help to find the others."

Ollivander cringed. Here went his hopes to take her off the unlikely track…

"Do you really want to involve _her_?" he asked imploringly. "She is underage yet."

"If she has donned the ring, probably the time has come," Florence replied confidently.

"It's dangerous," Orson insisted. "For her, and for you."

"The goal is worth the risk. I'll have to go there anyway."

He turned away. _Too late. She has switched to her 'adamant' mode…_

"If it helps, _I'll_ do all the risky part. She would remain safe… as safe as possible in the current circumstances," Florence added.

"But you're the last of the group. If you pass away too –"

"You could live with a bit more faith," she noticed with a small smile, so rare on her face these days.

The wandmaker made up his mind. He reached for his trunk and took out some package.

"Here. I can't convince you to change your mind, but I can help you to protect yourself."

Florence looked at him incredulously.

"But you need it to hide from Death Eaters…"

"I'm old, you're young," Ollivander smiled feebly. "Knowing you, you'll need it more than I."

She still looked unconvinced. He nodded.

"Yes, I do have a bad feeling about it, but honestly, it's only the matter of time before I make some mistake that lands me in their clutches… No shield is perfect. Your visit today is yet another proof of that."

"You can't take such risk!" her voice became stern. "Imagine what they can torture out of you!"

"Not much, really," the old man shrugged. _Since they got Florean already._

"Alright, if you insist, I'll move to Wales today," he added at her deathly glare. "But you're still taking it."

He untied the package and extracted an old grey cloak with hood. "It was one of my father's," he noticed.

Florence took it very reluctantly but didn't argue aloud.

"Oh, and you have my permission," Orson added. "Not that you care about it, but the Conclave might."

She snorted.

When the Animagus was leaving the place after having a bite of breakfast, she had no idea that it won't be so simple to reach her destination, nor that she wasn't the only one after it…

* * *

One of the first things Harry did in the morning was go looking for Hermione to tell her about the last night's vision. His dream was already turning into a hazy memory, so he was glad he placed it into the Pensieve.

He dragged Ron to the girls' room, wanting to deal with it immediately, however Hermione and Ginny had already gone downstairs. And to boot, the boys encountered Mad-Eye on the way down, whose last name was speaking volumes at that particular moment.

"What do you think you are doing?!" He barked, causing Ron to jump in shock. "How do you expect to win the war if you don't even care for elementary wand-safety!"

It was then that Harry realized he had accidentally put his wand into the back pocket of his jeans.

"For Merlin's socks, do you need a spare eye to keep on the basic things?" Moody continued his rant. "If you've got no better place for your wand, then tuck it behind your ear so at least your opponent gets hurt instead of you!"

He limped upstairs, still muttering something disapproving about teenagers.

"Well, that was rough," Ron snorted nervously. "You'd think if you don't follow all his precautions, you'll snuff it before the daylight is out."

Harry just shrugged. The last night's Giant attack was bound to raise Moody's 'constant vigilance' to an all-time high.

They found Hermione in a conversation with Fleur, who was wearing an apron, apparently just shushed out of the kitchen by Molly Weasley.

" – Viktor waz very sorry he could not attend ze wedding because of zat Quidditch match versus Australia. He wishes you ze best and 'opes to see you soon…"

Harry glanced at Ron, whose face reddened slightly.

"Morning, Hermione," he interrupted the conversation.

"Oh, good morning, Harry, Ron," she turned to face them as Fleur smiled and said good morning.

"Have you seen Neville?" Harry asked. "There's –"

"Good morning to you," Luna drifted into the room with a usual dreamy expression on her face. Harry smiled at her.

"My pleasure," Fleur smiled at her too.

"You look worried, Harry," Luna faced him. "Did you see a Boggart in your dreams?"

"No, I've seen _something else_," Harry emphasized the last words, glancing at Hermione, who frowned instantly, because of getting Harry's meaning or of Luna's suggestion, it was hard to tell.

"Well, Boggarts sometimes may sneak into human dreams," Luna continued, "My grandmother Leia Skylight said –"

"Excuze me," Fleur interrupted her suddenly. "Deed you just say Leia Skylight? I 'ope zis eesn't ze Skylight woman who seduced Great Uncle Luc many years ago? Papa said –"

"Actually, it was a different way around," Luna lost her dreamy look. Harry and his friends just stared at her.

"Papa said she left him after zeir first –"

"It wasn't like that!" Luna replied with conviction. "She had left to rescue Miss LeRean and he –"

"– and he got into trouble becauze of 'er!" Fleur's voice was rising, her previous attitude towards Luna gone. "She deedn't want him –"

"It's not true!" Luna's voice sharpened, "Grandfather was badly wounded during the attack at research lab and –"

She suddenly stopped. Next moment, the kitchen door burst open and worried Mrs. Weasley came out to see the source of noise.

"I'm sorry, but you've got it rather wrong." Luna said to Fleur quietly. "Good morning, Mrs. Weasley."

"Morning," she said guardedly, eyeing everyone present. Her suspicious look lightened when she saw Harry.

"Oh, you're a bit early, Harry, dear. Come on, the breakfast is almost ready."

Harry excused himself for a minute, hearing the voice of Mr. Weasley near the door. He didn't yet tell any of his friends except Ron about his nightmare, but felt it necessary to make sure that the man from the Ministry whom Voldemort was after was warned.

He found Mr. Weasley at the front door getting ready to go to work, while Remus Lupin was telling him some details of the attacks.

"– and in Dorset they were repelled even before the arrival of Aurors. Young Rolf Scamander did it, imagine…"

"An unexpected feat, yes. Those in Somerset weren't so lucky… Harry!" Mr. Weasley noticed him.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked him in concern, seeing dark shadows under his eyes.

"Well, it is something I meant to talk about," Harry began uncomfortably. "I had a Voldemort vision last night."

In an instant Lupin was at his side.

"Did you see Voldemort?" he asked in strained voice.

Harry nodded. "He was angry at one of his Death Eaters because his Imperius Curse failed. He couldn't control someone called Shamrock and blew up the cover of their spy in the Ministry."

Mr. Weasley and Lupin exchanged grim looks.

"The spy part is true," Remus said slowly. "We have received a message from Kingsley yesterday that the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse, turned out to be under the Imperius Curse. Scrimgeour was in the right state. Everyone is being checked now."

"It's the part about Shamrock that worries me," Harry said. "Voldemort seemed determined to replace him with one of his men. And I think he also mentioned something about the plans of breakout from Azkaban…"

"We are using every thread of influence in the Ministry to enforce a better defense at the Azkaban isle," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Though I think Scrimgeour should be more willing now. But the mention of Edmund does surprise me. Edmund Shamrock," he inquired, "has been the Head of the Department of Mysteries for the last ten years. I've met him in the Ministry occasionally but he doesn't strike me as a type to become You-Know-Who's important target. I'll pass him a warning, still... Don't worry, not a word about you."

After he left, Harry turned to Lupin; the opportunity to hear more details was just too good to miss.

"The last night was rough?" he asked with trepidation.

"Yes, pretty eventful," Remus chuckled mirthlessly as they both walked to the sitting room. "Fifty attacks! Death Eaters must've been planning it for a while…"

Harry's insides froze. "So the losses were great?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Not as bad as could have been," Lupin admitted. "Surprising it may be, many people do know how to protect their homes."

He sighed deeply. "It's Muggles and Muggleborns who took the worst."

Harry looked up at him, silently urging him to continue. No matter how bad the things were, he had to know.

"Sit down, Harry," Lupin said gently. Harry really didn't like his tone.

"I'm not happy with breaking this to you… but you're bound to find out sooner or later. Your relatives' place has been attacked."

Harry felt himself strange. It wasn't sorrow and pain like he felt when Sirius had died; it wasn't the emptiness he felt at Dumbledore's demise, either. The Dursleys had never been the true family for him, yet he was sorry for them… Too bad they didn't take seriously his several warnings about Voldemort.

"We don't know for sure if the Dursleys are dead," Lupin quickly added. "We didn't find the bodies yet. We didn't find Arabella Figg either, though her house was left in ruins. There was the Dark Mark above the town, but since there are Muggle survivors, it is possible that they had avoided capture or worse."

Personally, Harry doubted whether the 'worse' was just that. Even trying to imagine someone of his friends in Death Eaters' clutches made him shudder.

"And I regret to tell you that the family of Dean Thomas also went missing. Ted said there was no Dark Mark, though… And… the Creeveys were also attacked."

Harry's stomach churned. The faces of his school friends swam in front of his eyes. Unknowingly for him, his hand reached for his wand. His blood was boiling and he vaguely heard Lupin's next words.

"…has found Colin's body. Dennis told us he tried to divert their attention and it worked…"

Harry turned away, fighting the tears of anger. _Voldemort, Snape and their minions will pay dearly for this! For every single death they caused!_

"…fortunately the Grangers didn't suffer. The attack in the vicinity was repelled early.

"The Daily Prophet has printed a full report of the attacks. We feared they might try to hush it, but with such a major event not even Cuffe can omit it, Ministry's pressure or not. But perhaps the worst effect of the attack is that people have been very scared. Some already started talking about surrender."

"They didn't!" Harry was aghast. At such rate the Wizarding world wouldn't hold on much longer…

"But there is also a number of those who demand to take any necessary measures to prevent Death Eaters from setting more such attacks," Lupin replied darkly. "It's hard to say, however, that this is very good for us. The Minister is likely to tighten the control any time now. And given the situation, I don't think people will object…"

Harry understood. Scrimgeour was already showing signs of acting like Barty Crouch Sr., but now he would certainly get an ironclad backup.

His musings were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a silver cat with strange markings around eyes.

"We have just found Seamus Finnigan in Hogsmeade," the Patronus spoke in McGonagall's voice. "He is in Hospital Wing now, and Poppy is doing everything in her power. He's badly wounded, but has a chance."

It was strange to feel a relief after hearing such terrible news, but the thought of even one person freed from Voldemort's captivity ignited hope in Harry's heart. _At least Seamus is alive_…

"Harry? Did you forget about the breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley came looking for him, shooting a disapproving look at Lupin.

* * *

After the breakfast Hermione pulled Harry and Ron upstairs, followed by Luna, Ginny and Neville.

Having set up the Muffliato spell, Harry retold his nightmare to the Core members.

Neville fiercely glared into space upon hearing that it was Lestrange who broke the news to Voldemort, and Hermione was very angry that Harry "didn't try to clear his mind at all" and worried that Voldemort learnt about the locket. Though she wasn't inclined to trust these visions much, not missing the chance to remind Harry of the disaster in the Department of Mysteries. In his turn, Harry suggested her to get the Pensieve and see the memory for herself, so no potentially important details would be omitted.

After observing it, Hermione's anger switched to Voldemort for abusing house-elves, and she insisted that Harry should act nice to Kreacher next time he sees him.

In fact the only thing that prevented Harry from summoning the house-elf right to the Burrow, was the risk of the Order finding out. With all the protective spells and Moody's eye, they needed a more private place.

"We cannot just call him in here," he explained to displeased Ron. "The chance of them not noticing is the same as of your mother becoming a Defense teacher at school."

"Actually," Ron gave him an overly thoughtful look, "it's not a bad idea. Mate, you are a genius!"

Ginny snickered. "Just imagine Mum assigning detentions and taking points off Slytherins! And the faces of Fred and George when they hear about it."

Harry looked at them incredulously. "Are you two off your rocker?"

"Never misjudge Mum," Ron noticed expertly. "Who do you think taught Ginny the Bat Bogey Hex?"

Ginny beamed proudly.

"That's not what I meant," Harry rolled his eyes. "The job is cursed!"

"Oh," Ron's smile faded.

"I was worried about this Shamrock person they mentioned," Harry returned to the previous topic. "So I told Professor Lupin and your father, and asked to warn him when they meet in the Ministry."

"Edmund Shamrock is a nice man," Luna interrupted out of sudden. "He and Mum were co-workers in the Department of Mysteries. And he stood up for me when I was nine."

Apart from Harry, nobody seemed to understand the underlying meaning to the last statement. And even he wondered why someone needed to stand for Luna. It wasn't as if her mother had died because of her…

"And Lupin confirmed the part about the spy being discovered in the Ministry," he shot a victorious look at Hermione, who scowled at this. His momentary satisfaction instantly faded however, when he remembered the next part of the conversation.

"Lupin also told me more about the yesterday attacks," he continued heavily. "Apparently the Dursleys and Mrs. Figg got caught. Dean Thomas is missing too, and Colin…" he broke off and turned away, unable to continue.

Hermione was mortified. The others were stunned too.

"Your parents are okay," he quickly reassured her. "They –"

"I_ know_ they are fine!" Hermione exclaimed shrilly. "I've seen to it before even coming here! But the others… Your Aunt, Uncle and cousin… Dean and Colin… Just where were these Aurors looking?!"

"There were fifty attacks at least," he muttered quietly. "They couldn't have known where to go first."

The heavy silence settled while everyone digested this terrible news. Voldemort was getting serious in his attempts to take over. Who knew what else he had in store?

Ron and Neville looked particularly grim. With Dean gone, it left them and Harry the only inhabitants of their dorm in the Gryffindor Tower…

"On the brighter side, they've found Seamus, McGonagall sent a Patronus message just before the breakfast. Madam Pomphrey is doing her best and would surely fix him before long. Maybe he'll even be able to tell us something about their plans," Harry tried to lighten the mood. "And Lupin also said that many wizarding families were able to defend their homes from the Giants, like Scamanders for instance…"

"Thanks Highmaster," Luna whispered. Harry slightly raised his eyebrows. He wasn't the only one at that.

"Sorry, thanks _who_?" Hermione asked slowly.

Luna's wide protuberant eyes widened even more.

"But how can you not know? I thought it was the common knowledge in the Muggle world! Highmaster is the reflection of Generic Omnipotent Deity, or, for short –"

"Oh, Luna…" Hermione's exasperated tone was a clear sign of an ensuing argument about the things one party believed and the other didn't. Not happy at the prospect, Harry started sidestepping out of the room, Neville and Ron noticing and following suit. As Luna started gesturing in agitation, he noticed a tiny ring on her left hand, which clearly wasn't there yesterday…

* * *

_Same time, about twenty miles away_

The forest near the village of Ottery St. Catchpole was quiet as always but its wild denizens were on guard, sensing the hostile presence.

A middle-aged couple was trespassing through the forest, and at a first glance their backpacks could lead one into thinking that they were tourists on a hike.

A tall, tanned man with sharp, carved face and red hair was following a blonde woman in a semi-military suit who kept glaring to the sides, occasionally sniffing the air.

At last she stopped and put her backpack down, extracting the map with hand-made markings. The man didn't hurry to unpack, knowing it wasn't a full halt.

"We arre close," the woman spoke, her voice sounding like a quiet growl. "We'll get zere today."

"I still don't like this plan, Xavia," her companion replied. She looked up at him. Her chocolate-brown eyes with an unusual amber-gold tinge gave her a slightly lupine appearance.

"Too late to back away, Keesh, it's now or neverr! If ze Conclave comes to dead end, Timurr will have to summon Queen Scarlett, and she will support us!"

"And you know that how?" Keesh inquired slightly skeptically.

"I just do!" she snapped in irritation.

"And do you also realize we may be kicked out from the Conclave if we're caught?" he spoke calmly. "Defying the Conclave's decision is a grave offence, even for the greater good. And White Buffalo and Xeno can cover our Muggle-style trip only for so long."

She folded her arms and glared like she always did when felt uncomfortable. The number, once tattooed on her wrist, was long since gone but the habit to hide it remained.

"It's been th'rree weeks alrready. We _must_ do it." She said stubbornly. Keesh looked aside, having to listen to it twice a day for the last week of their quest. Sometimes his friend could be unbearable.

"Just what's wrong with you? It's yet two weeks before your time of month," he murmured inaudibly.

"I heard that!" Xavia snarled, baring her teeth. Keesh bit his tongue, belatedly remembering about her sharp hearing, and glanced at the holster of her army knife. Such comments were off limits and he knew it well.

"Let's move and get done with it," he quickly suggested. "It wouldn't do to knock at the door at midnight. We might give the wrong impression."

She snorted before packing the map and picking up the backpack. "We'rre doing ze rright th'ing," she said contentedly. "I _know_ it. If I am mistaken, you may send me to a silverr mine."

Keesh subdued the urge to roll his eyes when she wasn't looking._ Ancestors won't approve._

* * *

Alastor Moody returned to the Headquarters, having checked the detection charms for the third time. Weary from the lack of sleep, he automatically scanned the insides of the Burrow with his eye, just in case, but his thoughts were rather far away.

The absence of attack at Ottery St. Catchpole and the full strike elsewhere was a smart move on Death Eaters' part, he had to admit. They were having a field day, while the Order of the Phoenix (and could they even call themselves that now?) was sitting in an ambush, waiting for the assault that never came.

Then his thoughts returned to the things he confided to Remus Lupin the other day. Maybe it wasn't a prudent idea, but if something _does_ happen to him…

He himself had heard the children's tale about Ethereals at the age of three. When he was an Auror trainee, his very old mentor Sir Richard Skylight let him know that it was based on a real facts, known to his timid wife Helatha. Later, Dumbledore told him the true story in much greater detail, making it clear that the information was top-secret and available only to a few Ministry officials.

The ancient and noble race of Ethereals, or Etherei, the mysterious energy beings believed to having inhabited Atlantis along with many other species, had once peacefully coexisted with the humans for many millennia... Until they had been declared a threat to humanity and exterminated mercilessly worldwide several centuries before, after one Chief of the Wizard's Council discovered that they were the natural enemies of Dementors, on which he relied too much. Where they had come originally from or why were so hostile to Dementors, it was impossible to tell any more. Anyway, they were considered the most mysterious creatures on the planet even in the ancient times.

The error of that judgement was quickly realized but the damage had already been done. The consequent execution of the initiator didn't bring back these enigmatic creatures of light.

The other high-ranked wizarding politicians were so ashamed of that foul genocide act that they decided to gloss the history and omit it from all records except for top-secret. As a result, after several generations most people considered Ethereals some sort of mythical creatures like those Crumple-Horned Snorkacks from _The Quibbler_ tabloid. While being the Supreme Mugwump of International Confederation of Wizards, Dumbledore tried to lift the secrecy around that historical fact but unsuccessfully, for too many influential wizards in different countries feared mass discontent.

Moody always wondered how it was possible that the entire race, even not numerous, was wiped out so easily. The Ethereals supposedly weren't violent and mostly kept to themselves, rarely interacting with wizards and even rarer with Muggles, especially since the nasty incident with their leader a couple thousand years ago, but they were by no means weak. The Patronus Charm, originally created by their priests several thousand years before to help the human race, was a mere shadow of what a full-fledged Ethereal could do against the enemy, since a Patronus was an Ethereal drone generated by human's positive memories and emotions. The remaining top-secret documents also implied that apart from the Killing Curse no spells seemed to affect them at all. By the time of the slaughter however, most of the old pureblood wizarding families in Europe were quite distrustful towards Ethereals, with the few exceptions of the wise Dumbledores, courageous Fortescues, wandmakers Ollivanders, open-minded Weasleys and the reclusive Caelumens, who originally came from Central Europe and remained nomadic for many generations...

Then there was the case of the old apocryphal prophecy made once upon a time by Cassandra Trelawney about Etherei Renaissance, which according to Dumbledore was stolen from the Ministry of Magic a week after being classified. The daring thief, self-proclaimed Lady Scar, the infamous sorceress of immense magical prowess, had infiltrated the Ministry with disturbing ease and had never been captured so the Ministry's fears of potential leak of information were never alleviated. The Ministry's Aurors have even been retelling that tale for a few generations behind their superiors' backs. The exact content of the prophecy never surfaced though, but there were rumors that the ancient race was supposed to come back and take over the world just when the last of their descendants would fall...

He stowed his thoughts away, noticing Lupin descending to the cellar.

"Anything new?" Alastor asked grumpily when the werewolf entered the Headquarters.

He coughed. "There is one thing I didn't have time to tell you yesterday with the attacks and all. It concerns Dumbledore's will."

Both Moody's eyes fixed him with a glare.

"It seems he accidentally or intentionally lost one last part. Minerva just found it in his office."

"Excellent," Moody growled angrily. "Perfect. First suggesting this Guy-Enigma for the D.A.D.A. position, and now this. Just what game Albus was playing at?"

"What was in that part?" he asked impatiently.

"He made a few personal bequests. And apparently it confirms that he indeed left some sort of task for Harry and his friends. I think it might have involved this Commander too…"

"So-called Commander. For all we know he might be as much of a one as You-Know-Who of the Lord."

"We need to decide what to do with it. If the Ministry learns, they would seek to confiscate the items in question, there's no doubt. But if we _don't_ tell them…" Remus gave Alastor a pointed look.

"I know!" the ex-Auror barked. "But it might be worth the risk. Anyway, I need to know the exact contents."

He yawned. "I could live with a little distraction if you keep up the shields till Jones returns."

"Do we really need to increase the security now?" Lupin asked in doubt. "The Giants ravaged half of the country but didn't touch Devon."

"So they did. But it doesn't mean they won't pay their next visit here. Though on the bright side, it could mean that they had no information on the new Headquarters' location. Suspicions at most. And they didn't use the Dementors either, probably had too few thanks to Guy-Enigma."

"Now you think it was him?"

"Possibly… looks like he could've wielded a Patronus like that," Moody said cautiously. "He seems to be one of those few who know more about the Ethereal magic."

Lupin shrugged. "Now when you told me, I remembered those fairytales about Ethereals my late mother told me when I was little..."

_Lupette Bode_, Alastor thought grimly. _Such a promising witch she was, before Greyback's attack on her son broke her heart…_

"…I also remembered that according to them, the magic of Ethereals was supposed to be deadly for all Dark creatures... including werewolves," he added in discomfort.

Mad-Eye openly laughed. "Now that's a fairytale if I ever heard one. If they were really that powerful, the Dementor-lover would've never defeated them!"

He was still chuckling while examining the sheet of paper Remus handed him.

* * *

Harry sneaked to the bedroom, away from Hermione's fruitless attempts to convince Luna that she was wrong. While he and Neville managed to leave the room without being noticed, Ron wasn't so lucky, and apparently Ginny didn't want to be the only mediator and peacekeeper this time.

"Galleon on Luna," Neville whispered. "You'd think Hermione should have learnt her lesson by now."

Harry privately thought that eventually both of them would calm down but keep their precious opinions. Hermione was a devoted follower of logic, and Luna… well, she might have had her own logic, too.

While looking through his things and trying to decide what would he need on the search for Horcruxes, he noticed Luna's notebook she left there yesterday. Out of curiosity, he took it, carefully browsing the damaged pages, and read the basics of what was described. Originally it might have been the list of spells with brief description of their effects and conditions of application (though only a very few remained), and some pages contained theoretical reference to some Arcane Magic and Formulas of Light, completely unfamiliar area for Harry. He'd have to ask Hermione later.

Finishing the overview, he noticed that one of the last less damaged pages contained a pencil note written in the margins, just beside some incantation "Electronumus" which, incidentally, had no description left.

He squinted, trying to decipher the miniscule words.

"Eth Eru Est," he inadvertently read it aloud. Next moment, he felt the surge of energy, hope and confidence running through his veins like electricity. It lasted only for a second, but the grief and uncertainty he was feeling in abundance after Lupin's news were almost entirely washed away. He blinked several times, trying to understand what had just happened.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Neville asked him in concern. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Harry lied automatically. "Just a… just got lost in a thought."

Neville looked at him for a moment before shrugging and sitting back. Harry felt slightly uneasy. Lying to his friends wasn't a good beginning.

Then the noise from Hedwig's cage attracted his attention. He glanced at his owl, who had already returned from the nightly hunt and was trying to have some sleep. Pigwidgeon was more awake and at the moment was zooming around and hooting excitedly, apparently inviting her to come out and have a flight too, which greatly annoyed the snowy owl. Harry couldn't blame her. He himself would be annoyed.

She finally lost her patience when the tiny owl accidentally collided with her cage in excitement. Hooting angrily, she took off and pounced at him, clearly determined to teach him some respect.

Neville ducked to avoid the fighting birds when the door opened and –

"Hedwig, stop it," Luna said reproachfully.

The owls left each other. Hedwig hooted disapprovingly while Pig hid in the opposite corner of the room.

"Behave yourself," Luna lectured Harry's owl. "He is little and smaller than you. If you start hurting little ones, your feathers will turn dark."

Hedwig made an indignant sound, clearly revolted by the idea. Neville chuckled.

"Hey, Luna," Harry said. "Did you and Hermione finish already? I thought it was going to take a while."

Luna sighed disappointedly. "Hermione is more close-minded than I thought. It is going to take time…"

"I don't quite understand why does she always have to convince other people of her opinion instead of letting them be," Harry confessed. "She does turn out right most of time, but…" he hesitated.

"It annoys people," Luna suggested helpfully, once again unsettling Harry with her direct manner.

"Well, it might," he murmured.

"Are you still upset because of what Professor Lupin told you?" she unexpectedly changed the topic of conversation.

"Well, I…" Harry got lost momentarily. "It did come as a shock, I mean, what happened to Dean… and Creeveys…"

Luna stepped forward and took hold of his hand. Her gentle warm touch had strangely soothing effect on him. He found himself staring at the ring on her middle finger before lifting his head to see Luna's big silvery eyes so close.

"Mummy says that whatever we lose has a tendency to come back to us in the end…" She spoke quietly. "Though not always in a way we expect." (10)

Neville's cough interrupted them.

"Eh, guys," he said uncertainly. "Do you want me to go and check on Hermione and the others?"

"Yeah, thank you, Neville," Harry replied, barely paying attention. He just remembered about the memory in the Pensieve he wanted to tell Luna about. And he had a few other things to discuss with her…

After Neville left the room, Harry faced the blonde once more.

"Luna," he began seriously. "There are several things we need to talk about."

She nodded. "Yes, I feel so too."

He inhaled deeply before starting. "I have been noticing strange things about you recently. For example, you always talk about your mother in the present tense. I wanted to mention it several times but every time something interrupted us."

"But Harry, why should I speak otherwise? She is –"

"One more minute, Luna. I'll be most interested to listen to you but it isn't all. I also saw that Moody seems to dislike you for some reason I can't understand…"

She shrugged, her expression totally sincere.

"…and where this ring has come from? It wasn't there yesterday, I would have seen it."

"Daddy asked me to keep it," she explained calmly.

"Okay, but why were you so sure yesterday that there would be no Death Eater attack here?" Harry asked the more bothering question.

Luna simply stared at him.

"Did you know it for sure?"

She nodded. Harry's temper momentarily got the better of him.

"Then why didn't you tell someone?" he let his voice rise.

"Well, I tried. But the others didn't seem to believe me much," Luna said softly, looking straight at him. Harry wanted to bang his head on something. He himself had tried to convince Luna of the opposite. But why she didn't provide any logical arguments, instead of simply stating her opinion?

"Sometimes there are situations when you cannot give uncontroversial proof," Luna answered when he voiced his question. He thought back to his fifth year when nobody – no, _almost_ nobody except for his friends – believed his claims of Voldemort's return.

He turned away, kneeling to reach the Pensieve, but then remembered it was still in the girls' room.

"Luna," he spoke uncertainly, not really knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say. "You said that your mother worked in the Department of Mysteries?"

"She used to," she confirmed.

"And did you know she wanted to work there since her time at school?"

Again she nodded. "Mummy has always been interested in Arcane Magic. It runs in the family."

"Well," he stammered, curious about this term, "Would you mind if I ask you what kind of magic is that? If you don't want to, I can ask Hermione –"

"No, it's okay. There are few people who really take interest in it, and most are working in the Ministry," Luna began to explain, brightening. "To put it simply, Arcane Magic as I understand it is the art of manipulating the subtle magical energies, inherent to the fabric of reality itself... They cannot be controlled, but one can learn how they work. And use this knowledge for the benefit of people."

Harry wasn't sure he fully understood the explanation but nodded anyway.

"I've seen the memory of Dumbledore talking to your mother when she was thirteen," he continued. "He gave her a Time-Turner then so she could attend all her electives, like Hermione."

Luna smiled. "Hermione is obsessed with knowledge. I'm not surprised she had chosen so much. I myself didn't have to take Muggle Studies since Daddy is Muggleborn, and Arithmancy didn't seem really interesting. Maybe I'll drop Divination this year, too. Professor Firenze tells us many interesting things – I still need to read his letter by the way – but Professor Trelawney is a little close-minded, though she used to serve some exquisite tea in her classes_…_ The Care of Magical Creatures is fascinating though."

Harry smiled at the thought of Luna attending Divination just for tea and was a bit relieved that she found Hagrid's lessons interesting. _At least for a change he will have one student in his N.E.W.T. classes…_

"And when I talked to Professor Lupin, he told me that our mothers were good friends at school and shared their knowledge with each other. And I wondered… well… could it be…"

"That your mother used Arcane Magic to protect you?" Luna helped, giving him a sympathetic look. "Yes, I think so. Things couldn't have happened differently if she did. When a willing person takes the place of intended victim, the Death itself will work backwards. Almost like in the Deeper Magic from the Before the Dawn of Time, from 'Chronicles of Narnia'…"

Harry was too immersed in his thoughts to hear the last part. _The magic that can even rein death… no, not quite, more like redirect it… Did Dumbledore know about it? Probably…_

He wished he could've learned more from the old Headmaster. _But you can't bring back the dead, Dumbledore himself told him… And Sir Nicholas also said that once one had gone on, there's no way back… Who would know better then them?_

An uncertain thought tentatively crawled into his head. He turned to his friend who was looking at him expectantly.

"Luna, I just had a thought," he said, slightly embarrassed, "Do you have any ideas who can this Commander from Dumbledore's memories be?"

"Or perhaps, maybe you do know who he is but don't have the proof?" he added tentatively.

There was a very long pause. Then Luna spoke.

"Yes, I know who Commander is."

* * *

A/N: The last line was an intentional cliffhanger.

I'm trying to avoid LunaSue (or later, PowerfulHarry) and excessive OC interference. But the events already set in motion will have to take place. I do contemplate making Mrs. Weasley a D.A.D.A. teacher and temporary Head of Gryffindor House, considering her prowess in the DH, though it's not decided yet.

(8) Quote from **michelle-31a**.  
(9) "I keep the faith" (Latin)  
(10) Inaccurate quote from the OotP movieverse (as good as I can remember).

"Eth Eru Est" might be loosely translated as "Light is part of the God".

Electronumus spell belongs to **michelle-31a**.

The piece of poetry is mine. Possibly many would associate Love with Fire and Hope with Air, but I feel that in this case it works better this way.


	8. Chapter 6: Aftermath

A/N: Yes, this story isn't dead yet. In fact, actually writing this chapter wasn't half as hard as forcing myself to return to this story. I also took a look at the poll's results, and will try to refrain from adding more OCs and concentrate on canon characters. But the events already set in motion will have to take place. And quite a lot of this chapter's content was more or less borrowed from the DH, since there was no way around it.

**Chapter 6: Aftermath**

Severus Snape was deeply shaken. When he left to check on the Dark Lord's secret artifact, he never expected to encounter anything remotely as powerful. The darn thing almost seemed to have a mind of its own and somehow was able to mess with his Occlumency. He even had to risk delaying his report in order to restore his shattered shields, lest the Dark Lord finally managed to delve too deep into his mind.

He spent considerable time concocting a reasonable explanation for his extended absence, however upon his return to the secret hideout it turned out he needn't really bother.

Their master had been in one of his infamous temper fits, and the place was in turmoil. Severus was sure it must've been something big, considering that the Dark Lord didn't even ask him for any explanation, limiting with Cruciatus Curse. He didn't even ask him how the task went, making it clear he was too angry at the moment to care.

Mildly worried, ex-professor determined to find out what has happened while he was away. It took him little time to find Draco Malfoy (who was cleverly hiding from the Dark Lord's wrath), but the boy was as clueless as anyone else, though it looked to Snape like his godson was hiding something. Rodolphus let it slip however that their master was in that state since his talk with Yaxley and Bellatrix. Possibly someone of them messed up some major operation…

Though, given the relative success of the Giant assault (and the fact that both of them seemed to be in fairly good condition), it seemed not very likely. More like something was going on. Something Severus didn't like in the slightest. This whole chaos really wasn't for his liking. Sometimes he missed his old work at school. Reminiscing about his D.A.D.A. classes or even Potions grading was strangely soothing when he had to prepare for the next meeting with Dark Lord. Especially when he recalled the most stupid errors of Gryffindor dunderheads, particularly Longbottom and Weasley (Potter though, while blatantly cheating in ol' Slughorn's classes, seemed to be a little less of a failure, he grudgingly had to admit). Like when they were given the simplest task of composing a list of potion ingredients coming from magical animals. Some ingredients sounded just made up. 'Phoenix claw, pixie wing, Unicorn root…'

His mouth again curled into smirk. Before that, he had no idea that Unicorns had roots at all. Though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. 'Students are the everlasting source of knowledge for the teacher,' he remembered old Muggle saying.

He shook his head. Though normally he didn't like distractions, this time they were quite helpful, even though the Dark Lord might become angry at such stray thoughts, should he use Legilimency. Yet Severus chose to take a risk. The artifact he was ordered to check managed to crumple his Occlumency to the extent of giving him funny ideas, like bringing down his mind shields altogether. Or trying once again to use his –

He forcibly shut down that line of thinking before it recalled particularly painful memories. _Never again. One time was enough._

* * *

While the Dark Lord's closest advisor was lamenting his troubles, Lord Voldemort himself was having an extremely serious discussion with demented Bellatrix Lestrange.

"…and I don't care where he has been all these years, just find him!" he seethed, still angry at the whole affair. To think that his precious Horcrux was in the traitor's hands all this time… Good thing he put an exceptionally powerful wards on it. Even though Black managed to get through his trap at the cave, he still would be unable to destroy it. Nevertheless, letting him stay free any longer was not an option.

"Perhaps Kreacher can tell us where he is," Bellatrix tentatively suggested. "Last time he was quite forthcoming with information… Too bad these house-elves can only be summoned by their masters, and my blood traitor of a cousin saw to it with that will of his! Now I'll have to go back to the family house to find out!"

"Don't waste your time for house-elves!" Lord Voldemort angrily ordered. "These things are useless. I want you to find Black and retrieve the locket! And don't waste your time for Grimmauld Place either, Black should be a total idiot to hide it there. It wasn't all that long since you've checked the house already."

Bellatrix bit her tongue. It was a fair point, though it was _before_ she learned of the new circumstances. But she would never defy her master. If he wanted her to leave the guard duty and concentrate on finding her another traitorous cousin, she would do her best and track him down in no time. She smiled evilly. _Who said blood rituals weren't useful?_

It slightly saddened her that both of Aunt Walburga's sons turned out blood traitors, but she would fulfill her duty of cleansing the Black family tree. She wondered for a moment whether the younger brother would put up as much resistance as the dead Animagus…

Yet even with the rituals, it will take some time to trace Regulus Black and pinpoint his current location. Plus she'd have to prepare for a swift attack, lest the traitor could escape again. It would've been simpler if she had an assistance, yet her master explicitly forbade to involve any other Death Eaters, besides she wouldn't share the honor of bringing down the last Black with anyone. The traitor deserved the Dementor's Kiss, she thought. Or even better, having his magic taken from him beforehand, like what has happened in her recent nightmare, where she was put on the trial again and was sentenced to transformation into a Mudblood, or was it a Squib? There was little difference to her.

When her master finally let her go, she quickly walked up to her room, ignoring the questioning looks of her fellow Death Eaters. She nearly ran into Snape and was ready for another verbal duel with that snarky upstart, yet the man didn't even seem to notice her. She blinked. _Strange. Is this another way to show off his superiority or –?_

* * *

Florence landed in a small town, having spied a place clear of Muggles, which turned out a deserted alley, littered by junk boxes. Having assumed her normal form, she wrinkled her nose at the stench and promptly walked out.

There seemed to be a crying need to check her course. After all, it has been quite long since she was in Britain last. And who knows how long it would have been, were it not for Ian's 'timely' request…

While it was much simpler to just Apparate to the destination, she knew too well the amount of shielding magic in the area, which has likely been largely increased by now. She didn't want to wind up at the North Pole or somewhere even farther, so this fastest way was out of question. And Flooing wasn't her favorite way of traveling, besides she had nagging suspicion that it was too easy to monitor, both for the Ministry and Death Eaters, and attracting attention was the last thing she needed. Traveling in an Animagus form was, if anyway, safer and reasonably fast.

The only problem was determining the route. While her avian senses could tell north from south, it did her little good, given that she knew the direction pretty vaguely. It didn't help that the fabled eidos-tracking didn't work in her bird form and most towns looked alike from height. Somehow it was easier when she was looking for Ollivander but she couldn't really tell what made the difference. If anything, it should've been easier _now_, yet here she was…

Having inwardly berated herself for not bringing a map, she walked along the street, trying to formulate the question she was going to ask. _'Excuse me, where am I?' Yeah, right._ The extent of her geographical knowledge was that she was to the north of London.

_Just great! Getting lost Scarlett knows where, when there is no time to lose. Light forbid if Commander ever learns how 'able' his student turned out! No surprise he used to favor Annabelle and Lily…_

"Fortescue! Is that really you?"

Florence whipped out her wand reflexively before turning towards the voice. Muggle world or not, it was better to need to cast 'Obliviate' than to land in the Dark Lord's clutches. She didn't expect to run into anyone from the Wizarding world in this Muggle town, otherwise she'd have put on Orson's cloak first.

The woman she saw looked vaguely familiar. She frowned before finally recognizing the person.

"Jones? Fancy meeting you here," she replied cautiously, never lowering her wand.

The other woman held her wand at ready as well. Fortunately there were very few passerby Muggles, and none of them paid attention to the witches for longer than a few seconds.

"I thought you left the country," Hestia Jones said guardedly, eyeing Florence as well as their surroundings.

"Well, I had to come back," she replied curtly, trying to act at ease. There wasn't any threat to her… yet.

"Oh, I see," Hestia nodded understandingly. "Is it connected to Dumbledore's assassination?"

At these words she quickly looked up to gauge the other's reaction. Florence's face gave away nothing.

"Not exactly."

Not sure whose side in the war her acquaintance was on, Jones continued her probing.

"Did you hear about the massive Giant attack yesterday?"

For the first time, it seemed she caught her off guard. For a moment, Florence looked alarmed.

"No," she answered honestly. "I arrived only this morning."

_Either really unaware, or a darn good acting_, Jones inwardly noted. _She hides her feelings much better than back at school, though._

"Death Eaters have beaten their record in brutality," she said aloud. "I honestly don't know how the Ministry is going to patch it up."

Fortescue nodded in grim acknowledgement. _Not a bad sign, but not enough to be sure,_ Jones thought.

"How is Florean?" Hestia asked vaguely. It wasn't the most sensitive thing to ask, but it was necessary.

The other woman flinched. "Missing," she said icily. "Presumed captured or killed."

"I'm sorry," Jones replied half-heartedly. "I know, you weren't very close, but still, he was your brother."

"Thank you for your sympathy, but now I need to get going," Florence finally lost her patience.

Apparently she was in a hurry, Hestia decided. That's where she held an advantage.

"Sure. But first, tell me something only the real Fortescue would know," she pointed her wand in Fortescue's general direction.

Florence rolled her eyes. It was going to take a long time…

* * *

For a brief moment, Harry found himself frantically looking around the room in search for anything that might interrupt Luna this time. Finding nothing, he turned back to the girl. She remained silent.

"And?" he asked.

"Commander, as he prefers to be called, is my mother's mentor and my godfather," Luna spoke softly. "I saw him first on the day when I was born, when he visited Mummy in St. Mungo's soon after my birth."

"You can remember _that_?" Harry asked incredulously. His own earliest memories were of the green flash of Voldemort's curse. She nodded.

"They talked about some adult things. I don't know what it was exactly, but I think it must've been something sad, because Mummy cried."

Harry tried to connect what he already knew of that strange man with his friend's revelation.

"Does he hate Voldemort?" he asked. He didn't mean to put it that way, but it carried out.

Luna blinked. "No."

"Huh?!" He suddenly found himself nervous and starting wondering, just how close Luna and her godfather were.

"He bears no malice for Riddle, I believe," Luna clarified. "But he certainly doesn't support him and his ways."

Not totally reassured, he inquired. "So, what is he like?"

"He is very kind, but always sad and slightly tired," the girl said gently. "I don't get to meet him very often, but he used to send me nice presents before Mummy left."

The last sentence brought up another topic Harry really wanted to cover.

"So what about your mother?" he jumped at the opportunity. "Why do you speak of her as if she was still here?"

"But she is," the girl looked at him as if not understanding what he meant. "She is always with me. If I really want to, I can even see her, and speak with her."

"How?" Harry was dumbfounded. "She didn't become a ghost, did she?"

"No," the blonde smiled. "Lady Isabelle said the existence of a ghost becomes terribly dull after several centuries. But those who leave the physical world go to metaphysical one…"

Harry gaped at her. "Meta– what?"

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Muggles usually call it Heaven, or sometimes, astral plane," she began slowly, "I myself know it as Eden. It is the place whence souls come, and where they return to after they've done their work here. Well, at least some of them," she finished a bit sadly.

Harry's mind was really overloaded now. He needed some time to process all he just learned. Answers he just received only raised even more questions. _What really happens after you die? How can Luna be so confident about it? How –?_

His thoughts were interrupted when someone else entered the room.

"Zere you are!" Fleur spoke. "Monsieur Lupin waz looking for you, 'Arry."

Then her smile faded as she noticed the younger girl. For a moment Harry thought he saw the part-Veela glaring angrily.

"Thank you, I'll go see him now," he quickly said before leaving the room. Fleur really needed to settle her problem with Luna and the sooner the better.

Before closing the door, he still heard Luna's serene voice addressing the new Mrs. Weasley.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to use my advantage over you…"

* * *

"Harry!" Remus greeted him as he entered the Headquarters. "Come in."

He looked around, slightly surprised to see Ron and Hermione in here as well.

"About time, Potter," Mad-Eye spoke.

"Sorry to bother you again so soon, but there is one more thing we really need to discuss. The one Minerva needed me at Hogwarts for. And it concerns Ron and Hermione as well," Lupin explained.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Just them? I don't think we're going to keep it from Neville, Luna and Ginny."

Moody frowned slightly at Luna's name. "Watch out whom you tell your secrets, boy. Anyway, it's about Dumbledore's will, and he mentioned _only_ the three of you."

Hermione frowned. "Dumbledore's will? But I thought –"

"Yes, he left his Pensieve to Harry, but there is more.

"While being at Hogwarts yesterday, Minerva and I had found another paper in Dumbledore's office. Apparently it was a missing piece of Dumbledore's will, and upon reading its contents we understood why it went missing. You see, Scrimgeour is confident that Dumbledore was up to something and sought to confiscate some items of his will –"

"But he can't!" Hermione protested. "It's against the law! They can only do that if the things in question are proven to be Dark artifacts."

"This is the only reason why they didn't," Lupin continued. "They couldn't take hold of the Pensieve…"

He gave Harry a look.

"…but they most certainly would've held the things mentioned in the other paper, if only for a month."

He extracted a piece of parchment. "We took a big risk, concealing it from the Ministry officials, and we would be most grateful if you could settle our natural curiosity as to why Dumbledore decided so," he said before reading aloud.

"…To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator. Use it to the full extent."

Ron's eyes rivaled Luna's in size.

"W-what?"

"For some reason, Dumbledore had decided to leave you this device," Moody elaborated, extracting from his pocket a silver cigarette lighter Harry had seen once before.

"Very interesting choice on his part. Albus once briefly mentioned to me that it has some other functions besides the main one, but never said exactly what it was. You wouldn't happen to know it, would you?"

Ron shook his head with bewildered expression.

Mad-Eye glared at him for a few moments before Remus coughed and continued.

"To Hermione Jean Granger I leave my copy of_ The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive."

He gave Hermione a small book, which looked even older than Luna's notebook. That stray thought reminded Harry of things they just discussed and still needed to.

"Any ideas why he left you this particular book?" Moody asked with barely concealed impatience.

"He knew I liked books," Hermione said hoarsely.

"Last time I checked, this storybook was fairly common among the wizarding families," old Auror noticed as his remaining eye narrowed.

"Well, I'm a Muggleborn after all. And honestly, I've never read it before…"

"What?" Ron finally found his voice. "The Tales? Come on! For you of all people..."

This was certainly a novelty to Harry. For Ron to know of the book Hermione never read…

"Well, what _are_ these Tales, then?" she asked in exasperation.

"Children's stories," Lupin answered instead. "Supposedly written by Beedle the Bard, though there aren't conclusive proof to confirm the authorship. Probably just a collection of stories which came up throughout the history…"

"Most stories," Moody added somberly. "I know of at least one which isn't there."

Apparently Remus heard of it as well, because his face slightly paled.

"Anyway," he quickly said. "There is one more item, and Dumbledore left it to _you_, Harry."

All thoughts of questioning Lupin further were forgotten at once.

"What is it?" Harry asked eagerly.

Remus reread the line again before voicing it.

"To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, and remind of importance of perseverance and skill."

Harry looked dully at the tiny golden ball presented to him.

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief. After receiving Headmaster's Pensieve, he expected the extra bequest to be something more significant, like Gryffindor's sword, for instance…

Alastor Moody kept both his eyes on him, possibly curious at his reaction. "I take it, asking why Albus left you a Snitch would be useless?"

Harry just shrugged, unable to hide his disappointment.

"You're already aware that my Eye," the ex-Auror pointed at his magical eye, "it can see through obstacles, walls and even Invisibility Cloaks. But guess what, I can't see through this Snitch! Or rather, I can't focus on it."

That caught the attention of Harry and friends.

"You mean, it's warded from probing?" Hermione asked at once.

Moody nodded. "Very well warded. However I can think of one possible way to overcome it. See what I mean?"

"No," Ron blurted, before Harry could say a word.

"Yes," Hermione said at the same time. "The Snitch has flesh memories and remembers whoever touched it first."

"Precisely," Mad-Eye said approvingly. "You are indeed the smartest witch of your generation after all. And the person who touched it first is…" He again looked at Harry with both eyes.

Harry tentatively reached out for the Snitch and held it in his hand with baited breath. For a few seconds everyone was looking at it.

"Well?" Ron broke the tension.

The Snitch still glinted innocently on Harry's palm. Moody frowned. "Why, that Albus and his secrets," he muttered.

"Looks like we're doing something wrong," Remus observed. "Anyway, we can return to it later. There is one more line in this note."

He looked at the parchment again. "And to a certain acquaintance of mine, I leave my best regards and hope that his theories will prove true."

"Who is this acquaintance?" Harry asked. Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"We can only speculate. However it might be reasonable to assume that the person in question carries the initials G. E. "

_Commander_, Harry thought. For a moment he considered sharing what Luna just told him, but then decided against it for the time being. He still needed to learn exactly how Luna supposedly communicated with her mother, and she might've considered this information confidential.

Then he thought about his earlier vision. If Voldemort was aware of the missing locket, it was imperative to check out the Grimmauld Place as soon as possible, before Death Eaters paid another visit there.

"Harry?" Remus's voice broke him from his musings.

He looked up. "Uh, I just had a thought, you didn't put Grimmauld Place back under Fidelius, did you?"

Ron and Hermione perked up at once, which didn't go unnoticed by the adults.

"No, now that Death Eaters know its location, we can't use it as efficiently as before," Moody answered slowly, narrowing his eye. "Why, is there a particular reason for us to do so?"

Harry shifted in his seat, trying to raise his amateurish Occlumency shield, just in case.

"Er, it's about that vision I had last night about Voldemort –" Ron flinched at the sound of name and both men instantly focused their attention on Harry.

"And how can you be sure that it wasn't like the last year?" Mad-Eye asked roughly.

"He knew about Thicknesse's capture," Remus suddenly came to his aid. "Was there something else about it you didn't tell?" he asked in concern.

By now Hermione seemed to figure out where this was going and glanced at Harry nervously. He breathed deeply before continuing. "I believe there was something Voldemort wanted with Grimmauld Place," he carefully spoke.

"I doubt he's going to attack it anytime soon," he lied, well aware that otherwise they'll be kept away from there by force if necessary, "but why don't we check it out and see what it was that he wanted? I might even be able to recognize it when I see it, perhaps…"

He trailed off at the looks on their faces.

"This is one big thing, Harry," Lupin slowly spoke with most serious expression on his face. "If there is the chance of another Death Eater visit, I'd suggest you all to stay here while we –"

"You won't know where to look or even what to look for!" Harry interrupted him hotly. "This overprotection is ridiculous. Are you going to keep us under lock and key until Voldemort and his armies break through by sheer force? I'm almost seventeen for crying out loud! You saw what happened last night. Nobody is really safe, just like during the first war. You'll achieve nothing by treating us like children!"

He stopped to catch breath. He didn't really mean to blow up like that, but after hearing of the last night's casualties his temper was even shorter than usual and his willingness to fight was particularly heightened.

The others looked at him in silence. Ron gave him an awed look, while Hermione stared at her knees.

"We know, Harry," Remus spoke quietly. "Trust me, we don't intend to 'keep you under lock and key', in spite of whatever Molly thinks, yet you aren't ready to fight Death Eaters by yourselves, even with your Defense practice. What we're actually trying to do is keep you from _unnecessary_ dangers."

"Well said," Alastor Moody approved, looking strangely amused. "I remember saying almost the same to the young Auror-wannabes back then, during the first war. You three," he turned to the trio, "may think of yourselves as fighters, but I've seen guys like you going down in their first real confrontations. Why do you think the proper Auror training takes so long? There's Dark Magic you've never even imagined, let alone fought, which is frequently used by these psychos…"

Harry privately thought Moody's calling someone a psycho was a bit hypocritical, but wisely kept his mouth shut this time.

"What Harry was trying to say," Hermione cautiously piped up. "Is that we want to be able to help, and checking the Grimmauld Place is one of the few things we can do at the moment. Besides, if you send just one person to supervise and enable quick exit, you won't have to recall Order members from their other duties."

Harry inwardly marveled at her neat explanation. Remus seemed to waver.

"I'm not fond of this idea," Mad-Eye said frankly. "Yet I want to see you trying to sneak out even less. Given that it's about something You-Know-Who is interested in, I'd like to go myself, were it not for this restless night and my age…"

He turned to Lupin. "Did Jones report yet?" The werewolf shook his head.

"Just where is this girl when you need her?" he muttered. "Oh, fine. Go tell Molly and –"

Ron groaned. "Mum will fight tooth and nail once she hears of it!"

"Well, we _are_ of age, Ron," Hermione noticed.

"Not all of us," Harry grumbled. While Mrs. Weasley was not his legal guardian, she would certainly argue against his involvement in anything outside the safety of the Burrow.

"I'm sure we can work this out," Lupin said calmly. "I don't think this trip takes very long."

"Just keep the emergency Portkeys and Disillusionment Charm on you," Moody added. "And make sure the shields here are maintained! I wouldn't trust myself to stay awake if you'll be absent for long."

* * *

They didn't need to look for Molly Weasley since she spotted them first when they ascended from the Headquarters.

Apparently she needed some help around the house and fully expected them to be of assistance. And obviously she wasn't happy that Harry needed to go outside, let alone to the compromised old Headquarters.

This resulted in ten-minute rant about Lupin's judgement and responsibility, and to boot, she declared that Ron wasn't going anywhere until he did his chores, which quickly caused another rant. Which, in turn, attracted the attention of Ginny and Neville. And of course, Ginny went ballistic about the fact that Harry and Hermione were going to Grimmauld Place while she had to stay behind. Fortunately, Neville somehow managed to calm her down and even volunteered to help Ron and her with their chores.

After getting away from rather reluctant Molly, Harry quickly ran upstairs to place the Snitch among his things so it wouldn't accidentally get lost. Just as he reached the room, Fleur made her exit with unexpectedly peaceful expression on her face and smiled at him. Behind her, Luna was smiling as well. Apparently whatever she said was enough to break the ice between the Frenchwoman and her.

"Hello again, Harry," she spoke dreamily. "Did your meeting with Professor Lupin go well?"

Harry nodded, since there wasn't much time to go into details. "We're leaving for Grimmauld Place with him right now, Hermione's talked Moody into letting us go. Ron's mother wasn't okay with it, though."

Luna nodded in agreement. "No, I don't suppose she was…" She stood up. "Let's go, then."

Harry blinked, dropping the Snitch. _Let's go as in let's go together?_

"Wha–? You mean – you're with us?"

Her wide eyes widened even more. "Of course," she said as if it was obvious. "I wouldn't want you to get attacked by Shadow Chizpurfles or Death Eaters, or the Horcrux itself."

"I'm not sure… I mean, Mrs. Weasley barely agreed to let out Hermione and I…"

"Well, since Daddy gave me the permission to hang out with my friends, then I suppose that's all that matters," she unexpectedly reasoned.

Harry raised his eyebrows before shrugging. While he doubted that such permission included hanging out in potentially dangerous places, Luna seemed rather set on joining them. On the other hand, he truly believed that the chance of actually facing Death Eaters during this trip was lower than average, and the last thing he wanted at the moment was yet another argument.

"Then it's okay, I think," he muttered before heading back with blonde in the tow.

"…Side-Along to London and –" Remus Lupin broke off upon seeing them. Hermione's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth, clearly to berate Harry for bringing Luna on this quest, but the younger girl beat her to it.

"I'm coming along. I'd rather make sure you'd be fine… Besides I always wanted to check for myself if the abandoned houses really take on the personality of their previous owners."

Harry privately thought that back when he saw Grimmauld Place first, Luna's theory was definitely correct.

"I don't think it's safe," Lupin said seriously. "Frankly, the less of you go, the lesser the chance that something will go wrong. And I –"

"Don't worry. My father said that as long as I'm with my friends, I should be fine. And if even I will be fine then you most certainly will be," Luna suddenly interrupted.

Harry couldn't help chuckling at her quirky logic. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Can we Apparate right into the building?" he promptly changed the topic before the argument could start. Remus frowned.

"No. There are still enough wards to prevent it. I'm going to Disillusion you before Apparating, but each of you is to carry an emergency Portkey which would be triggered by casting a Protego Charm."

"Let's do it, then," Harry suggested, acutely aware that if Mrs. Weasley saw them at that moment, another lecture would be imminent.

Still frowning, Lupin finally gave in and handed them some contraptions looking suspiciously like the parts of some Muggle devices from Mr. Weasley's shed.

Few minutes later, after being disguised, disenchanting the wards on the main door, getting out and activating them again, they were finally able to breathe the air of freedom before Apparating to London.

* * *

Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place looked searched. Now that Harry thought about it, he had to admit with a sinking feeling, what were the odds of anything valuable being left there after the Death Eaters' visit?

"_Homenum revelio_," Lupin quietly said, raising his wand. Nothing happened. He relaxed slightly.

"It's the spell to detect human presence," Hermione whispered.

"Nobody is here except for us," Lupin confirmed, just as Harry had hoped.

Luna looked around, obviously interested, having never seen the place before. "I think this house needs a bit of cleaning…"

"Not so loud!" Hermione hissed. "You don't want to wake the portrait of Mrs. Black."

"You really don't," Harry hastened to add, seeing that Luna was about to say something.

Lupin turned to Harry.

"Well, now that we're here," he began, "How do you propose we start? You said you could recognize whatever it was they wanted. Do you think we should begin with the rooms upstairs?"

Harry nodded. "We might just have to look around first. I think it's safe to split, since nobody else's here, and we have these Portkeys on us."

Lupin looked unconvinced. "And how will the others know what to look for?"

Harry faltered. "Well… You may look for anything possibly important and for the clues to what Death Eaters did here last time."

The man gave him a strange, saddened look before turning away.

"Luna, why don't you check the ground floor with Professor Lupin while Harry and I look upstairs?" Hermione offered. "We'll alert you if there's anything that needs help with."

Couple of hours later, there was still no sign of the Horcrux, though Remus dug up several suspicious-looking items, but none of them was the locket.

Harry sighed. The search was taking longer than he expected, though he had to admit to himself, he subconsciously avoided the part of the house where Sirius's room was located. He passed the bedroom he and Ron once shared, briefly thinking about his best friend. _If Mrs. Weasley was that reluctant to let them go under supervision, what would it be like when they actually go on their own?_

"…it can be hidden with some obscure type of concealment charm," Hermione went on, not noticing that he didn't listen, "And we haven't checked all the rooms yet."

Just then, they heard a scream coming from downstairs. Instantly they took out their wands and rushed there, before recognizing Mrs. Black's rant.

"BLOOD TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS! MONSTERS! ABOMINATIONS! GET OUT FROM THE HOUSE OF MY ANCESTORS!!"

Hermione winced. It sounded like Luna accidentally set off the portrait after all…

They got to the portrait just in time to see Lupin vainly trying to shut the curtains, while Luna seemed to actually listen.

"WEREWOLVES! OH WHAT MY HOUSE HAS COME TO! IF ONLY THE PROPER PUREBLOOD WIZARDS CAME HERE AGAIN TO REMOVE THIS FILTH!"

She paused for a moment, and Luna took this pause to comment.

"Well, it doesn't look to me that they actually cleaned here much…"

Harry flinched. He didn't think anyone tried talking back to the mad woman for a long time. Indeed, she gaped for a few seconds before starting even louder.

"HOW YOU DARE TO INSULT THE NOBLEST WIZARDS IN THE SOCIETY?!" Mrs. Black screeched. "YOU SHOULD BE PUT DOWN YOU WIDE-EYED HALF-BREED!!!"

Deciding that the situation was getting out of hand, Harry rushed to help Remus, wondering if he could use magic inside the Black house and get away with it. Maybe with the wards on the building and other wizards nearby, the Ministry won't be able to tell…

Hermione on the other hand had no problem with it and tried to cast a Silencing Charm, which had no effect on the portrait other then getting it angrier.

"MORE MUDBLOODS! DEFILERS OF MY HOUSE! ANOTHER DIRTY VIRULENT HUSSY! ANOTHER…" Mrs. Black yelled a few more words Harry had never heard before, even from Uncle Vernon when he was angry.

"_Colloportus!_" Hermione tried the spell on the curtains instead of portrait this time. They instantly closed, shutting down the sound.

"Whew," Harry sighed before facing Luna. "Now you know why it's better to let sleeping portraits lie."

"Well, I think she needs to let her feelings out," Luna noticed calmly. "Although she was quite rude about it, I admit."

"Indeed," Lupin agreed with a raised eyebrow. "Though I wouldn't call provoking her the smartest idea."

"Any success?" he turned to Harry and Hermione. Harry shook his head.

"We haven't checked all rooms upstairs yet. I don't think we seen Sirius's room…"

Remus tensed slightly. "Harry, if you don't want to –"

"No, it's okay," Harry quickly replied. "It's just I've sort of kept saving it for the end…"

Hermione glared at him. "Harry James Potter! Don't tell me we've wasted all this time, I thought you knew where we should look! This isn't schoolwork, we can't put it off until the last minute. I know he was your godfather, but honestly, you need to get over it! There's no time for it right now. You'd better accompany me there this instant!"

"But – but…" Harry sighed as she huffed and turned to go back. Shaking head at Lupin's silent question, he reluctantly followed her upstairs.

The room in question happened to be at the topmost landing, labeled with a nameplate. Hesitating for a moment, he entered his godfather's room, tightening the grasp on his wand just in case.

Judging by the thick layer of dust, no one had entered it for a while, a stark contrast to the rest of the house. Harry briefly wondered why Death Eaters didn't bother searching it as well, before taking in Gryffindor-styled decorations along with the several rather defiant posters Sirius's parents definitely couldn't have approved. With a jolt, he recognized the picture of the Marauders stuck on the wall next to the diagram of a Muggle motorcycle.

"Strange," Hermione muttered nervously. "It doesn't look searched at all…"

"They probably didn't expect to find anything valuable here," he shrugged. "Or thought it beneath their station or something…"

The search didn't produce anything remotely resembling the locket (in fact, he began to think that it really wasn't in the building any longer), but they did find a loose floorboard, much like in Harry's room at the Dursleys, containing a stack of old photos.

Most of them were the ones of the Marauders and Harry's parents during their time at Hogwarts (including a few he already had in his photo album), but there were also a few of Harry's mother with some other girls, Luna's mother Annabelle and Neville's mother Alice easily recognizable among them. Finally there was the single photograph of a scandalized black-haired girl, who was furiously trying to cover herself with a towel right after coming out of the shower (at that point Hermione looked scandalized as well). Harry quickly turned it over to see the scribbled 'FF' on the back.

"Well," he chuckled, reddening slightly, "it doesn't look like the locket is here either… And this must be the most secure place in the room."

He made a motion to pocket the stack, however Hermione promptly snatched the embarrassing picture, shooting him a dirty look, and returned it under the floorboard.

"I bet Ron would've paid to see it," he muttered under his breath.

After leaving the room, they turned to the last door, which carried a little sign: 'Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black'.

Harry blinked, his mind taking a few seconds to catch on. Hermione growled something disapproving while fiercely glaring at him. Next moment though, he was ready to hit himself for not coming here sooner. In retrospect, it was quite obvious that Regulus's room would be located next to his brother's…

They barely made a few steps into the slightly smaller room when the air right in front of them suddenly shimmered blue, and before they could raise their wands, it suddenly solidified into the familiar redheaded figure.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "How'd you – why –"

"Harry? Hermione? What is this place?" Ron wildly looked around for a few moments. "I was just looking over that silver thingy from Dumbledore and then –"

"Quiet, you two," Harry commanded. "Or else Remus will think we're in trouble here and comes to check."

"Now, Ron," at Harry's warning Hermione switched to her know-it-all mode. "Tell us what exactly you were doing, right before you came here."

"I dunno, I was at the broom shed after getting Mum off my head – she was quite upset that you took Luna with you by the way – and then while I was turning lights on and off with this thing, it suddenly glowed blue and I heard you saying my name and about paying for something…"

It took all Harry's self-restraint not to turn crimson.

"…and then this light was all over me and then here I am," Ron finished. "Isn't it Grimmauld Place?" he inquired.

"So you mean to say that this device took you here all the way through the wards on this building and the Burrow," Hermione's eyes were round by this point. "Do you realize what it means?"

"Well, it looks like you've sort of summoned me here," Ron stated the obvious. "Like a house-elf. After all, the wizards' wards don't apply to them."

"They don't?" Harry made sure he heard him right. "But then why Voldemort doesn't use them against us?"

"Harry, you must be kidding!" Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "His Death Eaters and he himself view house-elves as worthless slaves – the mere idea of them capable of something wizards can't accomplish would be unthinkable for him. Look at Dobby – Mr. Malfoy had no idea that he visited you during the second year. And Kreacher – Voldemort took him to that cave with Inferi, and he made it back without anyone knowing…"

At the mention of the cranky house-elf Harry suddenly remembered how desperate he had been to prevent them from throwing out the stuff from the house two years ago. He determined to question the elf if the Horcrux wouldn't be found in the last room.

However when Ron distractedly clicked the Deluminator and switched on the unnecessary light, Harry realized they had a more pressing matter at hand.

"Ron, we need to get you back to the Burrow."

"Huh?" Hermione blinked, before remembering that Ron wasn't supposed to be there at all. "Yes, that's right."

"What?" Ron gawked at them. "But I've just got here!"

"And if you don't get back now, the adults at the Burrow will know that you went missing, and we'll have a lot of explaining to do."

"Oh," he sulked. "Okay then… But how am I supposed to get back?"

Harry looked at Hermione, but for once she didn't seem to have a clue what to do. Based on what they saw, the Deluminator was made for a one-way travel. The silence was becoming uncomfortable when the door opened and Luna came in.

"Hello, Ronald," she greeted him spacely, not even slightly surprised at his presence. "Professor Lupin was getting worried you're taking too long. I told him I'll check on you instead."

"Hi," Ron replied dumbly, visibly disconcerted by her lack of reaction.

"Luna!" for once Harry was actually happy to see the quirky blonde. Perhaps her unconventional logic could find a solution to their problem…

"Yes, Harry," she smiled at him.

Thinking that being blunt might work best with Luna, he asked directly: "Do you have any idea how to get Ron back to the Burrow?.. Without bothering Remus," he quickly clarified.

The girl thought for a moment. "Well, we still have these emergency Portkeys he gave us," she mused. "I don't think they will count them afterwards."

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or smack himself for stupidity. Leave it to Luna to suggest something so obvious that nobody would think of it!

Judging by the furious look in Hermione's eyes, she was thinking along the same lines.

"Here," not wasting any time, he handed Ron his Portkey. "We shall tell you later how it all went anyway. Activate it with the Protego spell."

Few seconds later, after Ron disappeared with the _pop_, Harry belatedly thought he didn't know where exactly the Portkey took him. He sincerely hoped Ron's little escapade went unnoticed by Mrs. Weasley or Moody, and regretted that he didn't bring one of their new communication mirrors. But then again, Ron probably didn't carry it either.

"Um, Luna," Hermione turned to the younger girl. "We have just one more room to check. Why don't you go and tell that to Remus? And while we're on the subject, perhaps we shouldn't tell him about Ron's appearance just yet, until we figure out how this magic works."

"Alright," Luna replied softly. "I'll keep it secret, if you want me to."

She calmly left without a word of objection. Harry felt a bit guilty for sending her away like that. Luna was just too meek for her own good.

Without any more disruptions, they finally got a good look of Regulus's room. It seemed to be the opposite of Sirius's. Slytherin colors, the Black family crest, a collection of old newspaper cuttings…

Harry's attention got caught by the old photograph of a Quidditch team, while Hermione looked through the papers and determined that they were all Voldemort-related, but generally useless, likely from the period before he joined Death Eaters.

The search in this room was just as fruitless as in all others, besides this room was clearly visited recently.

"So it seems we've thrown out the locket back then I'm afraid," Hermione concluded, disheartened.

Harry regretted sending Luna away. With her non-linear way of thinking, she probably would've figured out something… He didn't notice himself muttering aloud.

"She'd find something, she's the daughter of Jack Lovegood –"

_Click!_

They both jumped, raising their wands as paper cuttings on the wall started rapidly shuffling themselves, finally moving aside to reveal a well concealed alcove with another package of papers.

"How did you do it, Harry?" Hermione asked in hushed awe.

"I don't know," he honestly replied. "I just said –"

"Wait!" she levitated the package outside with a spell and quickly checked it for hexes. Finding none, she carefully unwrapped it. Inside there was an old yellowed envelope and a few equally old magazines. Harry opened the envelope, finding inside a folded piece of paper, while Hermione stared at the title of one of the magazines:

_**The Quibbler**_

Harry didn't notice it, reading the short letter, written in a calligraphic flowing script.

_Dear Regulus,_

_I'm glad to hear from you again, it has been a long time since you wrote to me. And of course, I'm always ready to help a friend. I know you wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important._

_Here are the copies of The Quibbler you requested, but I could help you more if you told me, why exactly do you need the obscure reviews for Arcane magic so urgently out of sudden?_

_I don't know what you're up to, but I'm worried about you. This letter of yours reeked of fear and shadow. Please be careful. We can't give up now, but there are lengths at which no one should go. I implore you to do only what is right to complete your quest. May the Highmaster guide you._

_Your friend,  
Annabelle Michelle Skylight_

_**P.S.**__ Are you sure you don't want to attend my wedding? I promise, Jack won't have problems with it._

_**P.P.S.**__ Don't worry about the danger of mail interception, I've cast a spell on this letter so that it might be read only by a friend._

As Harry finished reading, a previously unnoticed small photo fell out of the envelope on the floor. Harry again saw the picture of Luna's mother.

* * *

Florence made sure to land in a deserted area. Her unexpected run-in with Jones delayed her long enough already, she didn't need any more setbacks. While managing to convince the other woman that she wasn't an impersonator without resorting to violence or magic, it still cost her valuable time. And with Death Eaters setting such major attacks she needed to speed up and proceed with her plan before things became even more chaotic.

Fortunately she was able to obtain a very needed map before flying off again, unfortunately it did her little good since rural areas were harder to identify from height. She was pretty sure it was somewhere in Devon though, so it shouldn't be much longer…

Switching back to human form, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Then she frowned.

Something was very amiss. It seemed that she had lost her sense of direction. Otherwise, how could her target be farther from her than before? It was either that, or her map-reading skills were even more abysmal than she thought.

Anyway, this wasn't the time to ponder. Growling with displeasure, she did her best to correlate what she saw from above with the map, before deciding to head towards London, where the trace seemed to lead.

The black bird rose in the air again, changing her previous course.

* * *

"This must be how he figured out what needs to be done," Harry spoke with conviction. "Remember Luna said something about looking through old issues of her father's journal? These must be them!"

"Harry, these articles seem to be speculative at best," Hermione argued. "I'll need to look at them more closely, but for now all what matters is that the locket isn't here either. Come on, let's get Luna and Remus, and leave here."

"Wait," Harry said, determined to get to the bottom of things now. "Not until I know it for sure… Kreacher!" he called out, only half-expecting the house-elf to comply.

But he did. The creature appeared with the _pop_ sound, glaring at him and muttering something about blood traitors. It took a lot of Harry's self-restraint not to try to strangle the elf who had caused Sirius to die.

"Kreacher," he managed to keep his voice leveled. "I order you to answer my questions and answer them truthfully. Understood?"

The elf nodded, still glaring at him.

"Treat him like a person, not a slave," Hermione hissed in his ear. "You need to be kind to him if you want his loyalty. Sirius didn't and look where it got him."

Harry grimaced at the mention of his godfather. He really wanted to blame his death on the house-elf, even though deep inside he knew it wasn't fair. But they were already low on time, so he had to put his feelings aside and start questioning the elf about the locket.

Kreacher was most reluctant to answer, however it seemed he couldn't directly disobey the explicit order.

"M-m-master Regulus's locket was stolen," he forced out at last. "The thief Mundungus Fletcher took it."

The elf started sobbing before completely breaking down. Hermione was horrified at his reaction and looked pleadingly at Harry, urging him to do something. Harry was flabbergasted himself, unsure what to do until a spell from earlier today resurfaced in his memory.

"Eth Eru Est," he spoke, trying to direct magic upon the house-elf with his willpower. Not a moment later Kreacher gasped and stared at him, his wails ceasing at once.

"Master knows the tongue of old," he muttered in surprise, looking up at Harry with the slightest hint of respect.

Before he could ask what it meant, they heard steps approaching. Evidently the noise Kreacher made attracted the werewolf's attention.

"Kreacher, return to Hogwarts and don't tell anyone about this talk," Harry quickly commanded. The elf bowed in acknowledgement before disappearing.

"Harry, Hermione, are you alright?" they heard Lupin's concerned voice.

"Yeah, we're coming," Harry replied as Hermione quickly packed the journals. _Well, at least we know where the locket is now_, he thought, determined to have a few words with Mundungus.

Remus opened the door.

"Good. I really think we should go back, at least for now. It appears that Death Eaters _did_ set a couple of traps down there after all. Good thing Luna was able to notice them, even before I did in fact. I'll talk to Alastor about placing the house under Fidelius again and checking it for other surprises. Then we may be able to conduct another search."

"Well, it looks to me like Voldemort was just wrong about whatever he wanted being here," Harry told the partial truth. "Not that putting up Fidelius again is bad idea, there's no need to surrender the house to Death Eaters."

He gave Lupin a second glance, noticing a small limp in his step. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just noticed the last trap a moment too late. Nothing serious though, it was just a minor hex," he replied.

Harry nodded before following him downstairs.

* * *

"At last!" Xavia growled, seeing the tower-like building in distance. "Told you we get herre today!"

Glancing at the sun in the west, her companion muttered something under his breath.

"Quit complainin'!" she barked. "Th'ought you're Native Amerricans supposed to be tough."

He ignored the jibe, knowing too well that it was the only way to shut her up. They didn't exchange a word for the rest of the way. In fact, the whole walk passed in eerie silence, with absolutely no wind and not a sound from the forest inhabitants. He never knew the absence of sounds of nature could be so unnerving.

Hour or so later, they finally approached the old structure. Although using magic was a major no-no on this trip, they couldn't subdue their magical senses, especially near such a magical place.

Suddenly Xavia stopped dead. Her companion gave her a questioning look.

"I may walk no furrth'er," she muttered in irritation. His look became incredulous.

"What? Surely Leia had keyed you in, right?" For a moment he thought she was pulling his leg. The woman scoffed.

"I'm a werrrewolf _and_ a rroyalist. Th'ere's no way ze wards would let me in."

"Oh," his expression became serious. Then he made a few steps forward, facing no resistance.

"Wait here," he told his friend. "I'll call them out, and they'll let you in… hopefully."

Ignoring her indignant huff, he approached the door, however it opened before he had a chance to knock. The middle-aged man with sharp grey eyes stared calmly at him.

The visitor slowly raised his right hand palm forward and placed it to his chest.

"Keesh Red Feather, the Conclave of Elders," he introduced. The man nodded before introducing himself.

"Jack Lovegood, the editor of The Quibbler. How may I help you?" he asked politely.

"Well, first of all, you may let my friend in," Keesh stood aside, letting him see Xavia. "The wards seem to prevent her entrance."

The man's eyes slightly narrowed in recognition. Then he walked over to the woman. Xavia copied Keesh's gesture.

"Xavia LeRean, ze Conclave of Elderrs," she introduced stiffly. Lovegood chuckled.

"Is it necessary to be so formal? If I remember correctly, we've known each other for seventeen years. Though I never knew these wards would keep you out," his smile faded. Then he slowly took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the house. After several uncomfortable steps she suddenly relaxed and walked up to Keesh on her own.

"Not that I mind," Jack spoke conversationally, "but I expected at least some sort of forewarning to your visit, other than from the wards. Is everything alright?"

"We apologize for dropping on you without warning," Keesh replied. "But we didn't exactly authorize this visit with Timur. In fact, we would prefer if he didn't know of it just yet."

Lovegood's face became serious. "Come in."

Once they settled in the living room Xavia quickly glanced around, making a few sniffs along the way, as if looking for something. Her expression became discontent again.

"So what has caused your visit?" the host went straight to the point. "Does it have something to do with the faux-Muggle HAARP project I've heard about?"

Keesh chuckled.

"No, though I do have my reservations about this murky project Smithson has lobbied. Why Timur condoned it, I have no idea. You know the man's attitude towards Archon," he coughed before imitating Jake Smithson's gruff voice: "'This warlock from SSR' – Slavic-Siberian Region, that is – 'has only gotten the post 'cause the WWII took place at that moment.' Neat, huh? When in reality he's the type of a leader who's liable to go to war himself if his soldiers are in desperate situation… Rumor has it he even briefly participated in the war in 1941, shortly before being elected…"

"We didn't come all zis way to exchange stories overr cup of tea," Xavia interrupted. "Wherre is _she_? We need to speak to 'er."

Lovegood raised his eyebrows. "My daughter is not here at the moment," he replied softly.

"Is she safe?" Keesh asked quickly before his friend could blow up at them.

"Naturally," the man sounded surprised at the question. "Do you think I'd let her out if she wasn't? Her ultimate protection is still in place thank you very much."

"What prrrotection?" Xavia instantly rounded on him, looking concerned.

"The one my poor Annabelle was working on for years," Jack's voice wavered. "Sweet Lily, God bless her soul, had left her some leads. I don't know all details, but I do know that as long as Luna is near her true friends, no real harm can come to her no matter what."

He sighed, once again remembering how hard it had been when his beloved wife had left this world, soon followed by her distraught mother. Ever since then, he sought to protect his only child, going as far as trying to solicit aid from her elusive godfather, until he found Annabelle's postmortem letter which explained that Luna would be protected by virtue of the mere proximity to those who care for her. It also urged him to hand over her favorite sapphire ring to their daughter should the grave peril strike close to home…

"Hrmph," Xavia's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "No matterr, we need to speak to 'er as Leia's grranddaughter about most urrgent th'ings concernin' ze Conclave. Now _where_ can we find her?"

"I left her with her friends at the Weasleys," he replied after a short pause. "It's near the village Ottery St. Catchpole, several miles to the south," he clarified at their questioning looks.

"You should consider though, the house is heavily warded and people there might be rather overprotective of their guests. Besides, knowing her, I can't guarantee that she stays there. Only one thing I'm confident of, she's with her friends, she promised me to stay with them," he added.

"By Blinking Wolf!" Xavia couldn't help herself. "Is _anyth'ing_ goin' to go as was planned?!"

"I guess, it's our cue to leave," Keesh mused aloud. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Lovegood –"

"Jack," the man corrected.

"– but we should really go and find your daughter, before the time of our impromptu vacation runs out," he finished. "We'll try to keep you informed of any relevant developments."

"I'm goin' to make sure she faces no dangerr, or else so much ze worse fer danger," Xavia growled protectively. Keesh privately thought that she closely resembled a she-wolf at that moment.

Once they said goodbye to Luna's father and set out to the village, he asked his friend the question which somehow bothered him.

"What are we going to do if she isn't there either?"

Xavia made a show of sniffing the air. He shook his head.

"I don't think even you can sniff her from miles away. Are there any other ways? Maybe with your senses you could just give it a try and track her eidos?"

Xavia gave him a funny look.

"What do you th'ink I am?" she chuckled. "It'z werrewolf, not Eth! Even you'd have better rresult!"

"I never met her, unlike you," Keesh countered logically.

"And I've seen herr just once," she noticed. "Not nearrly enough of familiarity… alth'ough…" she trailed off, obviously considering something.

All his further attempts to get her talking were met with grunts and short caustic remarks.

* * *

_Back at the Burrow_

Harry rubbed his temples. Having successfully avoided Mrs. Weasley's ire before leaving the Burrow resulted in facing her after their return.

While Ron's little trip to Grimmauld Place fortunately went unnoticed, she was quite distressed that Luna traveled along without her consent (which she obviously wouldn't have given anyway). Harry's half-hearted attempts to explain that Luna volunteered herself were met with appeals to his sense of responsibility and the need to keep his friends safe. To that, Harry had no reply, since initially he didn't even intend to include Luna in all this mess at all, although her input has already proven to be valuable… But the girl chose that very moment to walk in and dispute Molly's statement by candidly claiming that she would trust Harry with her life, since he was fully capable of protecting her. For some unknown reason, it caused him to blush. Sensing that she was losing, Mrs. Weasley mentioned that Harry's own parents probably wouldn't have approved his course of action, however her words had quite an adverse effect. Reminded of his parents, Harry thought back to the talk he had with Luna previously about her mother. Though he wasn't sure he actually believed her claims about talking with her late mother, the idea of such possibility was nagging him.

Yet before even being able to discuss their findings at Grimmauld Place with the Core, he was caught by Ginny, who was equally angry because of being left out. Harry couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else as well, but was unable to put his finger on it. His explanation that he really had no say in the matter only seemed to rile her up even more. In the end, she stormed off (for which he was inwardly grateful) and didn't even go to the Core's other secret meetings.

Apparently Mrs. Weasley's new plan was to keep them as separate as possible by assigning them different chores, but even she was unable to come up with enough for all of them at the same time, so Harry was able to tell brief details of the trip to Ron and Neville. Then Ron's mother attempted to ask Hermione to do something already done by another Core member, and was politely rebuffed since the bushy-haired girl flatly refused to see logic in re-doing such trivial things, especially _after_ Bill's wedding. Grudgingly, she gave up for the time being, although her suspicions clearly weren't alleviated.

Meanwhile Hestia Jones finally returned from her assignment for the Order. Having questioned her about her prolonged absence, Moody soon left the Burrow with her, leaving Remus in charge of the shields.

The werewolf actually tried to make further inquiries about their search and its results. Of course Harry didn't tell him about the Horcrux locket, but mentioned the findings in the rooms of Black brothers not omitting the photo in Sirius's hiding place. Upon hearing that, Lupin laughed.

"Yes, I remember this event in sixth year, when he borrowed James's cloak and managed to sneak into the girls' showers. Florence nearly killed him for it. Actually, it took Madam Pomphrey almost a week to fully reverse her rather inventive hex, and Slytherin won the House Cup that year, due to the amount of points taken from both houses… Trust me, never anger a Ravenclaw, these meek researchers are way too creative when it comes to retaliation."

Harry again thought about Luna and how she was treated at school. If anyone had the right for creative retaliation, it was her.

He found the girl in the same room where they had talked earlier. She was examining the Snitch he received from Moody. Hearing his steps, she turned to face him.

"Oh, Harry," she smiled. "I hope you don't mind. I didn't intend to take your things, but you forgot to put it into closed space when you left, so it started flying all over the room and I had to catch it," she said in apologizing voice.

"It's okay, it is I who should've been more careful," he interrupted her, berating himself for such carelessness. "Thanks for catching it for me."

He then put it in his trunk, making sure it couldn't fly off again.

She smiled again before frowning slightly. "Do you know that there is something inside?" she asked.

Harry instantly became serious. It was clear to him that Dumbledore had placed something inside the Snitch, but Luna wasn't supposed to be aware of it. "And you know that how?"

She lowered her eyes. "I guess it is part of Arcane magic. Those who can work with it can also sense things around them, and sometimes even see through concealing magic. It is a rare gift though, and people with it are often distrusted by the others, because it gives them an advantage."

Harry needn't being told about it, having his own experience with the Parseltongue ability in his second year. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I can't really see through this Snitch," Luna continued, "But it feels like what's inside is… not good."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked in concern. Dumbledore would have never sent him anything bad, it must have been a mistake… Unless there was another Horcrux hidden in the Snitch, but surely, Dumbledore would have had it destroyed right away?

"I believe so," she said softly but with subtle conviction.

"We tried to open it, you know," he spoke. "But it just doesn't want to. What I don't understand, is why Dumbledore went for all this trouble and didn't even leave a clue…"

"Perhaps he knew it was dangerous," the girl suggested. "Or maybe he expected you to figure it out eventually. After all, nothing in the physical world is beyond cognition. Though its laws don't apply to metaphysical world…"

Harry perked up, hearing this term again.

"You have already mentioned it before. Is it really – I mean, how come you know about it? You said that only those who died can get there…"

"I didn't say it," Luna objected. "There are ways that some people may use."

"What are they?" Harry asked impatiently. Unbidden, the memories of his parents and Sirius floated in front of his mind.

"They are rather individual, I'm afraid," she sighed. "But one thing they all have in common, you have to let go of all your dark thoughts and feelings. Otherwise, Eths won't let you through."

Harry frowned, his bubble bursting. "Eths?" he thought he remembered hearing about these before. "You mean Ethereals?"

"Of course not!" Luna laughed. "It is a commonly made mistake. Ethereals is a general name for all denizens of the metaphysical world. Eths are a certain species of them."

"Okay," he agreed before she could go on. "Anyway, can you teach me at least the basics of these ways? I think it could really help us somehow," he added in a fit of inspiration.

The girl's expression became thoughtful. He waited with baited breath for her reply.

"It will take a long time…" she spoke hesitantly at last. "But instead, it may be possible to show you… There is one way… but unfortunately it will not work within the Burrow."

Harry growled under his breath. "Why not?"

"There is simply too much magic inside the house," Luna explained. "It works best outdoors, particularly around the nature."

"So we have to get outside for it to work," he finished despondently. She nodded.

_It will be difficult – forget it, impossible!_ He thought. _To sneak out through these shields unnoticed, then to get back…_

As if reading his mind, Luna looked at him sympathetically before leaning in closer.

"If you really want to do it," she whispered, "I may be able to help. Come with me."

She stood up and moved to leave the room. Harry promptly followed her to the bedroom the girls shared. _On the other hand, it's easier to do it now, while Mad-Eye is not here…_

"I think I have the solution," Luna muttered, "if only I find where it wandered off… ah, here it is!"

She picked up a grey pillow, which at a closer inspection turned out a carefully folded old cloak, suspiciously resembling the Commander's. Still, Harry was disappointed. When it came to concealment, his own Invisibility Cloak worked even better.

"That's it?" he asked.

"Yes. This is a Stealth Cloak," she replied. "Also known as Shadow Cloak. It prevents the others from paying attention to you. Not that I ever needed it, but you might like it," she chuckled.

Harry raised his eyebrows. Noticing his skeptical expression, the blonde quickly unfolded the cloak and fully covered herself. "Now turn around," she asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, he did like he was told, and…

"Luna!"

When he turned back, the room looked exactly like several seconds before, except for the one of his best friends. Next moment, he heard her melodious laughter coming out from nowhere.

As he frantically looked around, trying to locate the source, she suddenly appeared at the same place as before. To him, it looked almost like she faded out from the background.

"Wow!" he breathed out as she took off the cloak. "Where did you get it?"

"It has been in my family for a long time," she shrugged. "With it, the others will need more time to notice our absence."

* * *

_Outskirts of London_

Florence was getting frantic. Finding a safe place to transform was more difficult then before, and the size of the city didn't make the task at hand any easier. Yet she was going to accomplish it before the end of the day, and to the Underworld with obstacles.

Glancing at the map once again, and determining the direction she was facing, she concentrated once again.

Having triple-checked the current location of her target until she could pinpoint it with closed eyes, she breathed in, before letting out the stream of choice words she picked at school from seventh-year Slytherins.

It took the shocked Muggle passer-by several seconds to realize that the black lightning which rushed past him from the back of the alley was actually an overly large crow.

* * *

"I still can't believe we are really doing this," Harry muttered.

Somehow Luna was able to memorize and repeat the whole set of counter-enchantments Lupin did while taking them to Grimmauld Place. But then again, if she could remember her own day of birth, why not? He was more worried that they had just left under her Stealth Cloak without telling anyone. While it was the necessary evil, since discussing it even with Hermione would likely butcher the whole plan, he shivered at the thought of what it would be like should someone notice their absence. At least his own cloak was still at its place, so the other Core members wouldn't get suspicious straight away, and they still had Luna's emergency Portkey for quick return…

"Don't worry, Harry," Luna said calmly. "It won't take long."

The two walked as quickly as it was possible under the cloak, which fortunately was large enough for both of them, though they had to keep a closer contact than he was comfortable with. He briefly wondered what it would be like to move like that with Ginny at his side…

Abruptly, Luna stopped. Harry barely managed not to knock her on the ground.

"Here. We have walked far enough."

They were in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded by trees. While it wasn't really a forest, it was enough to fully obscure them from the Burrow, or the nearby village.

Luna took off the cloak and sat down on the ground.

"Now, you need to understand a few things about this way," she began, motioning him to sit as well. "There are several names to it, but I prefer to call it 'dreamwalking', because using it requires a good deal of imagination…"

"So it isn't for real?" Harry asked disbelievingly. Had he allowed himself to be so blinded by his desire to reach out to those already gone forever?

"Just because it's all in your head, it becomes no less real," Luna spoke uncharacteristically seriously. "It does take a leap of faith, but in the end it's worth the effort. You can't _imagine_ learning things you didn't know before."

"Fine," he quickly agreed. "I believe you. But what _exactly_ do I need to do if I've never tried it before?"

"First of all, you should relax," she said. "Lie down." Hesitating for a moment, he complied, stretching on the ground.

"Now you need to let go of all your worries and fears. Remember, Eth guards will stop you otherwise. One philosopher aptly called Eden the_ stellar country beyond the clouds, where evil can't exist_."

Harry squirmed, not liking it at all. It sounded a lot like Occlumency lessons, and he still struggled with clearing his mind and closing it from intrusion.

"Um, Luna, you know, I'm not sure I can manage it… I mean, I've worked on my Occlumency, I really did, but it is still difficult to block out these things. It's almost like the harder I try, the worse it works." He sighed. "Did you ever have bad thoughts, desires to do bad things, just out of sudden, without tangible reasons?" he asked out of blue. He never admitted it to anyone, but occasionally he had short tempting impulses to behave more violently than was necessary. He never gave into them (well, _almost_, he corrected himself, recalling his outburst after Sirius's death and his confrontation with Malfoy in Myrtle's bathroom), the childhood with the Dursleys taught him it was rather health-detrimental, but still…

"I might have, once or twice," she answered simply. "But such thoughts are not necessarily your own. There are a lot of things which can affect the mental process, like Wrackspurts for example. In your case, these thoughts might come from Riddle, even if you both are unaware of it. Just ignore them. They aren't worth your attention."

"Okay," Harry tried his best to push his worries out of his head. Glancing at the girl next to him, he found that just looking at her was strangely helpful to his attempts. Maybe it was her generally carefree attitude, or her compassion, or –

He blinked. For a moment he thought that the ring on her finger faintly glowed.

"Next," he asked, deeming his efforts satisfactory for the time being.

"Now this is where you need your imagination," Luna continued with a tiny hint of uncertainty in her voice. "To get as fast as thought, to anywhere that is, you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived…" (11)

He goggled at her. "Again, and a bit slower, if you can. I'm afraid you lost me here."

She smiled wistfully. "What I'm trying to say, you don't have to reach anywhere for anything. You already possess all what it takes. You only need to understand that you're as much at your destination point as you are here. Consider it like the part of you is already in Eden and let this part take control. It's really simple… once you manage it for the first time."

That was the crux of the problem, he thought. It wasn't like he totally couldn't imagine something like this, but with no practice at all it proved to be too difficult to achieve in reasonable time. Noticing his expression, Luna sighed and lay down on the ground next to him, taking hold of his hand.

"Just close your eyes, but keep your mind wide open," she advised. (12)

Harry hesitated. Now it was becoming _unlike_ the Occlumency training. "But if I _open_ my mind, then Voldemort –"

"Fear not," Luna interrupted him. "He just wouldn't want to follow you there. Not that he is able to, really. Evil can't enter that place, I told you. Besides," she smiled, "how are you planning to learn to close your mind, if you can't open it?"

He had to admit this was a fair point.

Her small hand squeezed his slightly. "Just trust me," she whispered gently. Her tone, more than anything, made him finally relax and let his thoughts run free as he closed his eyes, listening to the peaceful sounds of nature around him. He found that even with closed eyes he could still sense Luna's movements as she brought her other hand near his head.

"By the grace of Highmaster, may we travel to the Land beyond the clouds," she intoned solemnly, before the cool metal of her ring touched his forehead.

Suddenly his scar exploded with white-hot pain, as if Voldemort was standing next to him, and he screamed, thrashing wildly, and then he knew nothing.

* * *

A/N: Here it is. Cliffhanger again, but my conscience compels me to spoil it: don't worry, Harry will be alright. And I already have the outline of the next chapter, so it's bound to come sooner than this one. Well, I suppose my story isn't plothole-free but hope you liked it nonetheless.

I altered the properties of the Deluminator slightly, and made Harry's Snitch still able to fly around, but I remember reading it in QTA that their magic lasts for a while…

(11) Quote from **Jonathan Livingston Seagull** by Richard Bach.

(12) Quote from **The Bridge to Terabithia**. I've watched this movie year ago and, by Highmaster, it was an eye-opener! (And tear-bringer, too) Now I've opened my mind to the possibility that Luna might be the certain character's reincarnation (What? The book was written in 1977!) Though it won't take place in the FM universe. :(


	9. Chapter 7: Land Beyond the Clouds

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter series in general (although I do own the whole set of books) and don't own Deathly Hallows in particular (otherwise, the epilogue would have been quite different).

**Disclaimer 2:** I don't own the song in this chapter! I asked the author for permission to use it, though.

A/N: Over 70K words, and still no critical (let alone negative) comments! I'm starting to wonder whether it's a good or bad sign… :) Anyway, here's yet another chapter. I'm determined to finish this story and it will be.

I've seen the DH vol.1 movie and find it more faithful to the book than I expected. Way better than HBP movie, IMHO. And I was amused when Luna's ring actually appeared in one of the episodes. Who could have known? :)

**Chapter 7: Land Beyond the Clouds**

He was slowly regaining awareness, trying to organize his jumbled thoughts, which at this point consisted mostly of questions.

_Where am I? How did I get here? And who am I?_

Then he slowly started remembering. _His name was Harry Potter_.

With this piece of knowledge he suddenly regained the sense of identity, and the other fragmentary memories started solidifying around this one.

Other questions proved more difficult. Everything around him was covered in a dense grey mist, so dense that he couldn't even tell if he had a body at all. As he thought about it, the mist retreated ever so slightly, so that he was able to see himself, regaining the sense of sight.

Looking over his body, he discovered that he was naked, but it didn't really concern him at the moment.

Running his hands over his face, he regained the sense of touch and became aware that he lay on a flat surface of some kind. For some reason he felt brief surprise that he wasn't wearing glasses yet could see perfectly. Then, upon touching his forehead his fingers suddenly became numb, and he felt a connection of some kind, which he didn't like in the slightest. This new sensation broke the tranquility that was filling him, and his memories finally came together in a rush. He remembered all his life up until coming with Luna to a secluded clearing, following her instructions and then…

And then it hit him. _Luna! Where is she?_

"Luna!" he called out, briefly marveling at the sound of his own voice, having suddenly regained the sense of hearing.

No one answered him, but he heard some strange noise which slightly disturbed him. He suddenly became incredibly conscious of being naked, wishing he had some clothes on him.

The thought barely had time to form when he suddenly discovered he was fully clothed in his Hogwarts robes. He blinked, offhandedly noticing that he felt no real need to blink or to breathe altogether since appearing in this… place. This was positively weird. And he still had no answer to the rather pressing question of where he was. Luna has said something about stellar country –

Again, before his thought fully formed, the grey mist around him suddenly shifted and then started dissolving, finally letting him see the surroundings.

He was in some kind of a forest. While it wasn't very thick, the trees like he has never seen before were so tall that their tops and the sky were totally obscured by the foliage. Yet the place was illuminated by a soft golden light coming from no visible source. Then he heard a soft rush of water nearby, indicating a small river or a stream.

Once again, he felt the disturbing chilling sensation in his forehead. Turning around, he saw… He wasn't quite sure what it was but it looked definitely out of place. A pulsing clot of blackness was hovering over the ground, constantly changing shape and size, as if trying to assume some form but being prevented from doing so by some unseen force.

Not wanting to approach it, he briskly walked off in an opposite direction, but the black thing seemed to follow him albeit reluctantly. The rush of water became louder and then Harry saw the sparkling surface of a shallow forest stream.

Once again, the sensation of tranquility invaded him, although the dull pain in his head was trying to resist it. Before he knew it, his legs were carrying him right to the stream. He sat down on the ground, one step away from the enchantingly pure, beautiful water. As he reached out to touch it, the pain became sharper and he saw the blackness hovering next to him. He even thought he felt hate and fear emanating from this thing. Repulsed, he drew away and impulsively tried to wave it off. Surprisingly, it worked, almost as if the blackness was afraid of touching him. It backed away and momentarily hovered above the stream. Then, before Harry could blink (not that he needed to), the thing suddenly plunged into the water, as if pulled by something invisible, and instantly vanished without a trace. While the stream couldn't have been more than a foot in depth, and the water was clearer than Harry has ever seen, he couldn't see this blackness any more. The disturbing sensation in his forehead ceased as well. He shook his head in bewilderment before getting up. Maybe, just maybe, touching the water wasn't such a good idea.

Looking around, he saw nothing else noteworthy so, with nothing better to do, he walked along the stream, hoping that Luna wasn't far away. While walking, he kept glancing at the water and wondered whether it was safe or not. He sensed absolutely no threat, in fact he felt even better after that black thing or creature or whatever disappeared…

Just as he was about to check the water, he heard a voice.

"You're new one here, aren't you?"

He sharply looked up and saw a little boy standing on the other side of the stream. Quickly coming closer, he saw that it was actually a little girl with short hair. Just as he opened his mouth to say hello, the girl continued, "Oh wait, this is the other side you're at…" She sounded strangely excited. "You'd better not cross it, then."

"Why?" Harry asked while squinting at the girl. There was something in her that reminded him of Luna, he just wasn't sure what.

The girl smiled.

"This is the border," she replied simply.

"The what?" he asked dumbly.

"The border," she repeated calmly. "Between the worlds of living and those who returned."

"So it means… you're dead?" Harry said and immediately regretted his dumb choice of words. "Sorry, I didn't mean –"

"You're free to say so," she shrugged, turning her gaze to the water surface. "Don't worry though. As long as you're on the other side you can still go back."

"Uh, okay," he mumbled. He actually felt relief and unconsciously made a tiny step away from the stream. "And what are you doing right here?" he asked curiously. The girl looked up at him again.

"I'm waiting," was the simple answer.

"Waiting for what?" he inquired.

"Not for what but for whom," she corrected. "He is still on the other side, like you. And unfortunately he blames himself for what has happened. Even across the border, I can still feel it. Turned out, we have a soul-bond," she sighed sadly. Harry felt sorry for her.

"And how did you… get here?" he asked, trying not to sound nosy.

"Drowned," she replied. "Eths said it wasn't really supposed to happen."

Leaning closer to the stream, she whispered, as if telling a secret: "I think the Dark Master put hand to it. He had sent his minions after us before."

Harry couldn't help imagining someone like Voldemort.

"Now, what are _you_ doing here?" the girl decided to ask him for a change.

"Looking for a friend," he answered honestly. "Did you see her – she's slightly younger than me and has blonde hair like you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. But you might want to look over there," she pointed down the stream. "I'm not the only one by the border, you know. If the others didn't see her too, and if you don't find your friend on your own, then just ask Eths and they will answer. They always do."

Harry turned away to look. As he did, he suddenly became aware that there was someone else nearby in that direction. When he turned back to thank the girl however, he was stunned to see that she was gone. And he didn't even ask her name…

Shaking his head, he walked down the stream, hoping that some day, she meets her soulmate at last.

* * *

Florence was puzzled. While she hated to admit it to herself, she has lost her target, however laughably it seemed. The eidos-tracking technique was supposed to be more accurate than Muggle satellite guidance, at least in this particular case, and yet here she was…

She stopped to check again. She was following the clear trace of Luna's soul when it suddenly went 'off screen'. The woman shook her head in disbelief. It was theoretically impossible except for the possibility that Luna suddenly died, which she knew couldn't be the case. It was probably just another mistake with her concentration. She tried to use the connection between her ring and Annabelle's, but the feedback was so blurred that it was virtually impossible to pinpoint the location.

Rubbing her temples in exasperation, she headed to the last known location of her friend's elusive daughter.

* * *

As he walked along the stream, he kept looking into the treeline, trying to discern whoever was hiding there, for he was sure he really _saw_ someone. At last, the figure came into his clear view, only it wasn't on his side of the stream. His shoulders sagged slightly. He was hoping to see Luna…

As he closed in, he recognized the figure as oddly familiar. Next moment, Harry inhaled sharply, having placed the memory.

_Colin Creevey_.

Indeed, it was the same Colin who had always followed him around and tried to get his autograph in his first year. The same Colin who had joined the DA along with his brother Dennis. The same Colin who had successfully diverted the Giants from his family in the recent attack…

Yet this Colin looked slightly different from the one he remembered from Hogwarts. He couldn't really explain the difference, but it was as if he grew up somehow while being in this… place.

By that time Colin noticed him as well, staring at him as if he saw a ghost. Although such an idea sounded a bit ridiculous to Harry, considering _where_ he was at the moment.

"Harry?" Colin found his voice at last. "How did you get here? Please tell me you didn't lose the battle to Riddle, or we're really in for it now!"

_So much for welcome_, Harry thought wryly. But then again, he did have a point.

"Relax, Colin. I'm still on this side, if you haven't noticed."

Creevey did a double take before sighing in relief. "Thanks Highmaster. For a moment I thought – nevermind. So how did you manage to get here? They say only a few people have the access."

He moved a bit closer to the stream but didn't try to enter the water.

"Had a little help," Harry replied offhandedly while closely examining his deceased friend. Were it not for the overwhelming serenity that seemed to fill this whole land, he might have reacted much more emotionally. As it was, he just felt happiness of seeing Colin again and, strangely enough, _rightness_ of it all.

"So you're, like a visitor?" Creevey inquired curiously. "Annabelle said some souls can approach this close, but I've never met one before…"

Harry only half-listened to him, shifting his focus to the treeline beyond the stream. "Say, what is it like on the other side?"

"Much like on the yours, I think," he shrugged. "It's not really Eden here," he pointed around himself.

"Just some sort of limbo, although I find it rather nice in here. Most people without ties just go on, but some have to wait."

Harry frowned a bit. "And why do you have to wait?"

The other smiled sadly, and he instantly recalled how the young wizard had ended up there in the first place: "The war."

Colin nodded. "I'm not the only one. Quite a few have to wait till final outcome. Then we will be free to go…"

He looked at Harry seriously. "Don't fail, Harry. You can do it. You're the Chosen One."

Noticing the expression on his face, the boy added: "Don't be surprised, there are no secrets and lies beyond the border. We all know now that you are destined to stop Riddle, or come here early yourself. We just want our loved ones to live full lives before rejoining us."

Harry looked at him in awe. Being in this place definitely gave Colin Creevey the wisdom beyond his earthly years…

"And whatever you do," he continued in a quieter voice, "make sure you'll end up in Eden when your time comes. I've been told that it's not worth even ruling the whole world if you don't make it there in the end."

"And who told you this?" Harry asked, now wanting to meet other people stuck near the border. He privately wondered whether his parents and Sirius were still there as well. After all, this was why he wanted to come here in the first place.

"Oh, Annabelle. Annabelle Skylight, Luna's mother. She's one of the brightest people around here," he chuckled for some reason. "Even Eths seem to listen to her."

Upon hearing Luna's name, it finally clicked in Harry's head. Now he knew where he could find her!

"Can you tell me how to find her? Luna came here with me – she brought me here, in fact – but she has disappeared and I don't know where she is. Do you reckon she went to see her Mum?"

Colin didn't look surprised. "Possibly. She's been coming here times and times before, that's what I heard. Check the clearing over there," he pointed further along the stream.

"Annabelle comes there often. Don't bother with upper border though," he glanced at the direction from which Harry came. "Les' is nice, but she's not from our world. At least, that's what they said."

"Okay. Thanks, Colin. I'll try to do my best." Harry resumed walking down the stream.

"Good luck, Harry. And say hello to my family for me," Colin's voice broke for a second.

Inwardly wincing, Harry turned back, but the younger boy was already gone, as if he was never there at all. He just shook his head. This 'limbo' place was definitely unlike the normal world. As soon as he thought that however, a stray thought piped up: what _was_ normal? Could it be that _here_ was what the world was supposed to be like?

Brushing off this random idea, he went looking for the clearing Colin told him about.

* * *

It didn't take long before the treeline had withdrawn from the stream, forming a beautiful forest clearing on the other side, illuminated by a brighter light than the rest of the place. Still, try as he might, he couldn't see the sky from his side of the border.

The sensation of tranquility and quiet joy grew stronger, and Harry almost forgot himself and stepped into the water, before stopping at a spot.

There was an actual source of soft white light on the other side. As he tried to make it out, the glowing object shifted, and Harry gasped at the sight of a creature unlike anything he has ever seen before. It slightly resembled a human woman, however half of its body was composed of a glowing mass of white-bluish light, not unlike a Patronus. As he observed the – creature? person? – he noticed a rather familiar human figure entering the clearing and approaching the stream. He gasped again.

"Sirius?"

The handsome black-haired man and the woman-like creature both turned to face him. The man stared at him for several seconds before shaking his head.

"Not quite. Regulus Arcturus Black, formerly the follower of Tom Marvolo Riddle, at your service," he introduced, wincing slightly at the latter part. "I do have a brother called Sirius, though."

The woman stood up and came closer as well. Now that Harry got a better look, he noticed how much the human half of her face resembled older version of Luna's. He instantly understood who the woman was.

"I am called Annabelle Michelle Skylight," she confirmed his suspicion in a melodious voice that figuratively took his breath away.

"Hello," he managed to reply. "I'm Harry… Potter."

"I know," she nodded. "Even though it's been a long time since I saw you last. You probably won't remember… But I'm glad to see you again. Especially since Luna speaks very highly of you."

Harry blushed.

"Did you see her? She took me here and then disappeared, and I don't know if she's alright."

Annabelle frowned. "It is unusual. People who come here together usually can stay together. Nevertheless, nothing in here can harm her in any way, and she knows better than to cross the border. You will find her, it's only the matter of time."

More relieved than he was willing to admit, Harry looked up, thinking about the golden opportunity to learn more about this strange land from most reliable source.

"And why does this place look like a forest?" he asked. "I mean, it's not what I thought it would be like."

Annabelle smiled.

"But this is what it's like for Luna. If you have traveled here on your own, you might've found yourself in a different setting. The border manifests itself in a way which the newcomer understands best."

Harry tried to think this over.

"So, all of this here isn't real– as in it's like what I think it is…"

"Your perception of the metaphysical plane is relative and dependent on your knowledge and experience, yes," she agreed. "Here many rules you took for granted back there, are mere meaningless formalities. Watch."

She didn't do anything, as far as he could see, but the scenery changed drastically. Where once was a stream in a forest clearing now stood a two-foot stone wall in an open field under the starry sky. Next moment, he was looking down the ravine with beautiful grassland down there. Then he was back in the forest with Annabelle and Regulus on the other side of the stream. Totally at loss what to say, he merely gaped at them.

"Close your mouth, this isn't a Quidditch game," Regulus advised good-naturedly. "Besides catching the Snitch is simpler using your hands."

"Huh?" Harry did as was told, momentarily wondering if the man somehow knew about his first match at Hogwarts and its unconventional ending.

"Regulus," Annabelle admonished her friend, though not without a slight smile. "In here, Harry, you are free to choose. Where to be, where to go and what to see."

Harry wasn't sure he liked it. After all, how can one be comfortable in a place which can instantly change on a whim of just anyone? He sat down, just to be on the safe side. The woman seemed to sense his thoughts.

"You are still tangled in misconceptions of the mortal world," she spoke wistfully, sitting down as well. "It's natural. But understand this: the only thing affected is your perception. The truth of what you see remains the same."

Her words somehow amplified the calming effect of the forest. Not that Harry was ready to take it in stride.

"I think it will take some time to get used to," he admitted. Annabelle chuckled.

"You have all the time in the Universe here," she said amiably. Harry noticed that Regulus briefly frowned at these words. Back in the real world, he probably would've written it off as a product of his imagination, but here, he somehow knew that it was real. Before he could ask him, however, his companion continued:

"Or at least as much as you can take. Time can flow differently in different dimensions, you know. And since metaphysical world touches them all, it is especially true in here. Millenium here can last one second back there, if you choose so. Too bad the newcomers like you often have to readjust… After all, everyone on Earth and any other world came from Eden once upon a time. The Life itself originated there."

Harry did a double take. Something didn't sound quite logical. "Wait, I thought this was the world of the dead – no offense."

"None taken," she assured him, "Didn't Luna explain it to you? Think of your life within a physical body as of temporary arrangement in between the infinity outside of evil's reach…"

He then fully remembered Luna's strange definition: _stellar country beyond the clouds, where evil can't exist._ As if in response, he felt an encouraging wave of energy passing through his spine. Still, he wasn't entirely convinced. This time, Regulus took notice of his doubts and felt the need to address them:

"Just take it at a face value. Annie here is a metaphysical world expert, considering her – er, status," he finished lamely at Annabelle's intense gaze, shrinking back.

_Is this because he used a nickname, or mentioned her strange condition?_ Harry quietly wondered. As if reading his thoughts, the woman sighed, leaving the relieved man, and smiled sadly.

"You don't need to hold back, Harry," she spoke softly. "You may not see it yourself, but all your questions are written in your eyes. My current ambivalence has been caused by my own actions alone. It was impossible to be both human and Eth at the same time. _He_ realized this. I didn't. Now I reap the consequences of my choices."

Harry felt a pang of compassion. She didn't sound overly sad about her situation, though.

"It's all right," she continued. "Actually, the hardest part is being away from Luna and Jack most of time. Of course, I can still reach out and see how they are faring back there, but it's not quite the same… Well, at least Luna can visit me from time to time. Now, I believe it's been some time in your world since her last visit. How has she been, recently?"

"Uh," Harry did some quick thinking, not wanting to admit how little he knew about Luna's activities outside the Core. "To tell the truth, I only met her again a few days ago… But she looks fine to me. Only Professor Moody appears to dislike her for some strange reason, and she was briefly at odds with Fleur Delacour – though she is a Weasley now, she's just married Bill. They seem to have sorted it out though."

Annabelle nodded, taking this in.

"Alastor is afraid of what he doesn't understand," she said sagely. "He is certainly clever but sadly distrusting. Not really surprising, considering his history. Still, it's ironic, since my own great-grandfather used to be his mentor…"

Harry perked up at this little bit of information. _Does Luna know about it? Is Moody aware of it at all?_

"…and I'm glad to hear that Bill has finally settled down. Even better, his girl is obviously a cousin of mine, but I admit, I know little about her. What is she like?"

"She is part-Veela," Harry answered truthfully. "But she's been nice to me ever since the Triwizard Tournament. And she was nice to Luna too, until she heard about her family…" he trailed off, not quite sure how to relay what he had heard without sounding obnoxious.

"I see," she frowned momentarily and her other half's glow dimmed. "Well, that was to be expected as well. It has to do with one of the more tragic pages of our family history, which has also caused resentment on the part of Delacour family. It certainly didn't help that this Fleur is also related to Veela…"

"Why?"

She paused for several seconds, before replying with a counter-question: "What do you know about Veela race, Harry? Their origins, I mean, not the effects they have on most human males."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Regulus behind her chuckling soundlessly. As his eyes flicked back to her, she interrupted him before he opened his mouth.

"Don't answer this, I already see. Well, the first Veela were very different to these of today. In fact, they were closer to what you could call Dark creatures, and were actually rather hostile to humans, wizards and Muggles alike. The latter even tried to hunt them down, calling them flesh-eating demons, and some of these legends survived even till my days on the Earth. Anyway, in attempt to deal with this threat the wizards of that era had called upon Eths to assist them in taming these creatures. Even with their help it took a long time, but in the end all Veela became what we know now, and their hostility to mankind has ended. Moreover, Veela themselves were grateful for this change and pledged allegiance to those who took active part in it, because among other things it gave them their current beauty. An ancestor of mine was one of those participants."

Harry thought this over, recalling the 'real' looks of the Veela he briefly saw at the Quidditch World Cup. It made sense.

"So, between the one-sided family feud and ancient obligations of the Veela, Fleur probably thought that Luna was going to take advantage of her position, not that it really could happen… I'm glad they've talked it over."

He nodded in agreement. While curious about what exactly had caused the rift between the families, he clearly understood that it certainly wasn't any of his business. Looking at Annabelle's glowing form and still quiet Regulus, he again wondered whether he could find his parents and Sirius by exploring the border further. And again, Annabelle appeared to have read his thoughts. Normally, he would've found that a bit spooky and suspect her of using Legilimency, but here he intuitively realized that in this serene realm the excessive secrets were truly nonexistent. He even suspected that if he really wanted to, he could communicate merely through thoughts without using the words.

"People waiting in the antechamber of Eden don't always stay near the border," she spoke, gazing at him with her human eye. "If you desire to find someone specific, though, it might help to change your vision of the border."

_Wouldn't hurt to try_, he mused. Though on the inside, he was slightly afraid to do it the way Annabelle did before. What if he gets lost and unable to return? Seeking reassurance, he glanced at the forest behind, calm and serene as ever. At least from here he could probably leave whenever he wanted… unlike the people on the other side.

"Too bad there's no way for you to get back," he muttered. Regulus snorted, unable to keep it to himself anymore.

"Well, that's the way things are, unless you've got yourself a Resurrection Stone," he replied.

Receiving no put-down from Annabelle, he continued boldly: "Even though it's not quite the way I would choose, sometimes I just want to trade my place here for something – _anything_ else, rather than being denied access to Eden pending the Final Battle. Don't get me wrong," he hurriedly added, noticing the change in Annabelle's expression, "It's a wonderful place, especially with such a wonderful company –"

"Regulus," Annabelle spoke in a colder tone.

"…but I foresee that after several centuries it will simply become as boring as being a ghost," he finished a bit despondently. The woman shook her head in disapproval. Harry blinked unwillingly.

"Wait a second, didn't you just say you have to stay here only until my battle with Vol– with Riddle?" he suddenly found Voldemort's name sounding strangely fake and superfluous on his lips and found it much more comfortable and _right_ to use his Muggle last name instead. Then a terrible idea struck him. "Or… will you all get stuck here forever if I lose?"

Regulus shifted uncomfortably. "Honestly, I don't want to find out. And not just because of my situation, I've already done whatever little good I could. But if Riddle wins, bringing him down will certainly send up here quite a few more people."

_Too true_, Harry agreed. And it was up to him to prevent this.

"I wish I could do it. I'm not afraid to face him again – I think I even look forward to it, just to end it all – but it certainly doesn't help that he has his Horcruxes to protect him…"

At these words Regulus's face whitened and even his whole form appeared less corporeal. "Horcruxes? As in plural? I thought there was only one… Merlin's diapers!"

"Regulus!" Annabelle finally lost her patience. "Calm down. Be that as may, it changes nothing for us. And Harry _is_ capable of dealing with this problem, on his own or not. He wouldn't be in this situation otherwise. Like is spoken truly, _ad impossibilia nemo obligatur_." (13) Her non-human half glowed brightly at these words. Then she turned to look at Harry.

"I mean it. Somehow, there _is_ the way for you to succeed. But you will have to find it yourself. As much as we want Riddle stopped, all we can do from here is share our knowledge, and unfortunately it does not include the hiding places for these abominable items."

"I only learned of that locket thanks to Kreacher," Regulus interrupted, still obviously bothered by the news. "He has always been loyal to me, unlike Sirius. He even kept some things secret from our mother, on my request."

Harry noticed how his eyes momentarily darted to Annabelle and back.

"Once I heard his tale, I knew the line had been crossed. I saw how all these talks about 'purity of blood' were a mere propaganda to gain support from the more powerful wizarding families, all while preparing to seize the power by force. And that was well before I learned that Riddle was half-blood himself."

"You've learned of it here," Annabelle put in.

"Anyway, oppressing Muggleborns was one thing – not that I really supported those bigoted ideas – but creating an army of Inferi and a Horcrux to boot was something else entirely. I admit, my family wasn't ever scrupulous about dubious artifacts, but even they had standards. No one has been stupid enough to try to mess with his soul!"

"And with good reasons, too," Annabelle spoke gravely, her glow now almost nonexistent. "Soul, or what is commonly called a soul, is in fact a complex multi-dimensional energy structure – a process, even, – integrated into the very Universe. It has a core, the source, which is sometimes called an eidos. To the extent of my knowledge, it is also the source of personal identity and conscience. To try and interfere with this… You don't want to know what happens with such delicate system when a Horcrux is created, let alone several."

Harry couldn't help shivering. "And… And is it possible to undo it?"

"Oh, there is always the way out," she replied strangely offhandedly, "But I'm not sure if any of those who went that far have ever used it, for it would terminate the very purpose of creating a Horcrux. One would have to give up all that he 'gained' through it and more. Like _he_ would say on this matter, _pretium immortalitatis est amor_, because they've got it all wrong. For normal people like us it's the other way round, _immortalitatem amor donat veram_. To regain soul, one would need to regain Love, and to regain Love, one would need to renounce all evil he has done, and bring himself to remorse." (14)

Harry momentarily wondered who was this 'he' she referred to. He also thought about the importance of love Dumbledore used to stress. But there was an even more pressing matter…

"And what about destroying a Horcrux? Luna did some research and came up with – what it was called? Love Liberation spell, I think. And I've seen the basilisk venom work on it as well."

"Too bad I had neither available," Regulus muttered grimly.

"From the sound of it, this spell is related to the Formulas of Light," Annabelle mused. "I used to research the topic in depth and even published some of the less… misusable materials in Jack's magazine…"

"I should've known it was you," Regulus spoke contritely. "Would have saved me quite an effort and, possibly, my own life as well."

"If you had just explained _why_ you needed this information, I could've provided you much more help," she retorted.

Their bickering was starting to both amuse and annoy Harry. "So how about something practical on the topic?"

They both turned to face him.

"Well, Formulas of Light are the most reliable way to destroy something that dark," Annabelle started at once, and in the back of his mind he started regretting his request. "But they don't always work just for anyone. Like a Patronus Charm – which is actually related to this magic as well – they require a certain state of mind, which can be rather difficult to achieve and maintain. But there are other ways, admittedly less safe, to destroy such things. To do that, you'll need to breach the integrity of its magical matrix, in other words, to damage it beyond magical means of repair. Like you just said, basilisk poison is potent enough to overcome protections placed on these items. There are also extremely dangerous Dark spells capable of that, though I wouldn't recommend any of them…"

_Now where is Hermione when I need her?_ Harry thought gloomily, trying to memorize all what was being said.

"To make it short, look into this spell Luna has found. I think it will be the least troublesome way for you," she sighed, noticing his lack of attention. "Try to take it in though, all forms of magic based on Light and Love are so opposite to this Dark magic and they clash so much, that Horcruxes cannot sustain prolonged exposure to it, it's only the matter of time. The same goes for undead Dark creatures like Dementors, by the way.

"I wish I could pass my knowledge on you, but it took me years to learn, and would probably take as much for you as well. Time here can run differently than back in your world of course, but since this is the first time you are here, you're yet unable to manipulate its flow and will not be able to stay here indefinitely. Not even Luna can stay here indefinitely, though I must say I'm rather happy about it. After all, this really isn't the place for the living. She's got her world, her body and her father to take care of," the wistful smile on the human half of her face caused him to feel a powerful twinge of sympathy, for her and her daughter.

"Besides," she added, "Love has always been more of Lily's field of expertise, while I tried to see through the essence of Light and Time. She surpassed me, because while I sought to learn academically so to speak, she took a hands-on approach to the matter."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, not sure if he wanted to know what she meant. On the other hand, he once again remembered that his parents might be somewhere nearby. He stood up and looked at Annabelle's divided face, both halves returning his stare.

"Where are they?" he asked simply, knowing for sure that she will understand. She did.

"Here," she pointed at his chest and then touched her own. "Always and forever. Love is the ultimate form of magic, Harry. It transcends death and is capable of incredible things, such as giving life, even when nothing else seems to work. Cherish it, protect it, and it shall protect you. Such is the principle of ultimate protection. What we give away has a tendency to come back to us in the end."

Back in the world of living Harry probably would've inwardly cursed at the Dumbledore-worthy cryptic answer, but here he heard not just the words but their essence and meaning as well. His bond with his family never ceased to exist. His soul surreptitiously sensed theirs in this realm and could guide him to them. He finally began to understand Annabelle's previous words about freedom to visit and to see what his heart desired. He also noted with slight worry that he was starting to think of this realm as home and want to stay here, in this place outside of Voldemort's reach…

That thought triggered his sense of responsibility. Moving in here would have to wait, at least until Voldemort was stopped for good.

"I – I need to go," he stammered. "Even though I don't really want to…" Annabelle nodded in understanding.

"No one but you can determine the right time to leave," she agreed. "What is happening to you right now is the natural reaction to facing the world better than the one you just came from, and you're trying to figure out what is the right thing to do. The answer lies in understanding that when your time comes, you'll be able to stay here rightfully and enjoy it more fully than you can imagine. But for now you'd better resist the temptation."

She chuckled. "After all, many people know that the Dark side pulls you in, but few know that the Light side can pull you in just as well. Never fully understood it myself before coming here, though."

"And good thing it's true, otherwise I might not have made it here," Regulus added. "The shield on that cave was terrific. We believe part of its purpose was to ensnare the soul of whoever would be unlucky enough to die inside. Of course, no wizarding magic can keep it trapped indefinitely, but still it was good that I've recited whatever few Formulas of Light I knew before pulling off the whole thing…"

Harry about had his fill of surprises for a day. So he and Dumbledore risked not only their lives but their souls as well? What else Voldemort could come up with?

All things considered, he should probably find Luna quickly and just go back, leaving the non-essential discussions for the next visit here. In the meantime, things he already learned could possibly help the Core… He paused. _And pray how am I supposed to explain this to them?_

The answer formed in his mind immediately, peculiar though it was: _No matter, first things first, one at a time. Step one: find Luna._

Briefly surprised at such Hermione-like thinking he never knew he possessed, Harry looked at Annabelle Skylight and Regulus Black for the last time, cutting goodbyes to a single look at their eyes. Annabelle's non-human half brightened momentarily in approval. _Goodbye, Harry._ Regulus smiled thinly. _Don't fail, Harry._ Then his lips quickly moved soundlessly, but Harry somehow was able to read them: _Dixi et animam salvavi_._ Remember this. _(15)

He then fully closed his eyes for the first time, trying to think of some other place representing the border, where Luna might be at the current moment…

When he opened his eyes, he was standing alone in a desolate mountain pass under the heavily clouded sky. Almost immediately he sensed a presence not far away and headed there, climbing up the stairs-like rock formation. Getting to the upper ledge of the cliff, he saw a wide chasm splitting the whole area in two. Judging by what he could see of it, he was awfully high, and it was clear that approaching the border was unwise, even though he was still tempted to do so. Averting his eyes from the seemingly bottomless abyss, he noticed a cave on the other side of the border. Next thing he noticed was a pair of silvery, almost translucent protuberant eyes staring at him. Only then he took notice of the person these eyes were attached to. The lone figure was wrapped in a grey cloak similar to Luna's, perfectly matching the texture of the stony surface behind it. As it stared at him, Harry realized two things in quick succession. First, this person was sitting on the other side of the chasm. Second, it wasn't Luna. Only then his emotions caught up with his thoughts, chilling fear for Luna, followed by an immense relief and happiness. Before he could find his voice, the person got over the surprise first.

"Septimus? How did you –" the voice was decidedly male, though quite soft. "Wait, you aren't… What are you doing here, young man?"

"Hello," Harry thought it fitting to greet the man. "May I ask your name, sir?"

The other pondered his question for several seconds.

"In days gone by I had a name people could say without a shame…" he spoke sagely in a decidedly Luna-like manner. "I chose this secluded place to reside, so that there be no one who would say it again."

Harry blinked. _Whatever he has done, it must've been big, for him to blame himself like this._

"Well, my name is Harry and I'm looking for my friend. I've tried to get to her and ended up in your place. I didn't mean to disturb you. Did you see her?"

"Since you have appeared here, your friend must be nearby," the man said thoughtfully. "Strange though it is. Very few people would think of going here. Not in the least because very few know of this place. During my days in mortal world, this knowledge was passed from parent to offspring."

Harry took a more attentive look at the man. His eyes were the same as Luna's and his entire countenance was eerily familiar. Possibly he was one of Luna's ancestors…

"Sir, does the name Luna Lovegood sound familiar to you?" he asked tentatively. The man shook his head. Harry thought quickly. "What about Annabelle Skylight?"

This time he saw a flash of recognition in man's eyes. "One of my friends was a Skylight. Richard Skylight was his name. Though I believe he's long since gone on."

"You mean you don't know?" Harry's curiosity was piqued.

The man's large silvery eyes became steely. "I don't leave this place nor interact with the others at the border," he said flatly.

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry quickly apologized. "I really know very little about this – eh – metaphysical world. It's just that the other people appeared to be free to move around, more or less…" His conscience took this moment to remind him of Regulus's attitude. Once again, his thoughts probably reflected in his eyes.

"No one at the border is truly free," the hermit spoke gravely. "We are here because we can't go further in, for one reason or another. Everyone has his or her own issue. Some even choose to stay here willingly."

He fell silent for a moment. "In a way, I wasn't forced to stay back, but my own conscience prevents me from leaving the Cliffs of Remorse until the damage I've done is repaired."

Harry was getting decidedly uncomfortable. "Well, sir, I need to find Luna, if she's nearby. You reminded me of her, so I thought that maybe you two are related…"

The man nodded, his eyes brightening. "Why, it might be possible. You see, young Harry, in my family boys were always born very rarely compared to girls, that's what our mother said. And I still had one sister left when I came here. I believe that the family name of our line could have changed a few times."

Then his face grew serious. "If your friend chose to come here, something is likely wrong with her. She must feel an intense guilt for some reason. You should find her quickly. Go to her now, young man. And, in case she is indeed of our line, tell her… tell her that the old Guardian Caelumen wants her to forget her guilt and fulfil her duty… something what I failed at. For the sake of the future."

Harry listened intently, his worry heightened. Why would Luna feel guilty? Something was definitely wrong and he was going to make it right somehow. Then he perked up as the Guardian's name rang the bell. He could swear he heard it before…

Before he could recall the details, the Guardian stood up and gazed at something behind Harry.

"_Unum castigabis, centum emendabis_," he intoned. Next moment, the cliff disappeared and Harry found himself on an even rocky surface. (16)

He was clearly starting getting used to the peculiarities of this realm since he wasn't even surprised by the fact that a spirit of the dead person could just send him to a different area. He looked around. While this new place carried clear similarities to the Guardian's cliff, it was less grim and resembled springtime alpine valley with small patches of grass on a rocky ground and occasional trace of snow. It was also farther from the border, which was apparently represented by a mountain ridge in distance. Still, the very air of this place was filled was something strange and intangible, causing Harry to feel light sorrow and longing. His urge to find Luna increased, coupled with the need to help her with… whatever it was. Eyeing the valley, he noticed a barely visible path leading to a rock formation not far from the border. As he headed there, he saw that the rocks actually had a small gap through which the path led. Approaching it, he heard a sound coming from that direction, as if someone was singing. He couldn't make out the words from where he was standing, but the very sound stirred something deep in him. He hurried towards the gap and looked behind the rocks.

Out there was a beautiful small meadow surrounded by snow-covered rocks, full of all kinds of flowers, with majestic fruit tree in the middle. The flagrancy caught his breath, and he just stood there stunned for several seconds, staring at the wondrous image before him. The sense of serenity he felt earlier returned tenfold, as if absolutely nothing bad could happen as long as he remained here, in this place of safety.

Only then he became aware that the voice he heard was coming from behind the tree. This time, he was able to discern words and again forgot to breathe at the utter beauty and sadness of the song, which sounded almost addressed to him:

"_Have you been lost seeking shelter  
From those who hurt you,  
Wounds at their hands,  
Scars that won't heal._

_There is a place, warm in snowfall,  
Flowers that grow at your feet,  
A warmth in your heart,  
I am there with you._

_Just be at peace. Don't be afraid.  
Nothing will harm you in here,  
I'm by your side,  
I'll protect you now._

_A tree in the snow  
You can sleep here in my arms.  
If you wander far,  
I'll wait right here for you._

_I'll stand by your side,  
Keep you warm when you're alone.  
There's food on my boughs  
Here at your home._

_Long have you searched for sanctuary,  
An end to the nightmares and pain.  
The doubt never ends,  
Memories so cruel._

_Scars still remain. There's no healing.  
There's no one that you truly trust,  
You feel alone,  
Afraid, you cannot rest._

_Long lonely nights  
When you called, but no one was there.  
Be not afraid,  
Here, I am with you._

_Forever your place,  
No matter what happened to you.  
Here you are safe,  
Now and forever…_" (17)

Harry made a few steps towards the tree until he saw a white glowing figure sitting under, reminding him of Annabelle. As he observed this person, its the brilliant glow faded to a soft bluish light, revealing the person's face.

Harry felt that his world was complete when he looked into eyes of Luna Lovegood. He never recalled coming closer until he found himself right in front of her. Her wide silvery eyes widened even more when she saw him.

"_Harry!_"

In an instant she was on her feet, and before he could say a word she hugged him so tightly that he couldn't breathe once again. Had it not been for strange power of the metaphysical world to render physical needs unnecessary, he probably would've blacked out.

"Oh, Harry! Thanks Highmaster!.." The girl couldn't bring herself to let go of him, and he was too shocked to respond. This was the first time he saw Luna looking so scared. Scratch that, this was the first time he has _ever_ seen her scared! What was going on?

He just stood there dumbly for some time, trying to process all what was happening, and Luna showed no intention of letting him go anytime soon. But why did she behave as if he has been in a mortal peril?

Then he took in her appearance. Her clothing definitely changed. It turned into a long silvery-blue dress which reminded him of the one she wore for Slughorn's party. But the glittering aura around the girl wasn't caused just by a dress. Her very skin seemed to glow faintly, and it made her look even more beautiful… Harry abruptly stopped his train of thoughts. _Did I just consider her beautiful?_ Not that she wasn't pretty in her own way, but…

Then he realized with growing embarrassment that he felt rather comfortable with her holding him like that and fervently hoped that she didn't read his face like the other people at the border.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," he heard her saying and wondered if his hearing was playing tricks on him.

"What for?" he asked gently. "I'm alright – though you had me worried when I couldn't find you. Where have you been?"

Luna sighed and released him with slight reluctance. Harry momentarily felt disappointment.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," she spoke contritely. "I never expected that we would get separated. But then again, I never took other people with me before. I should have known –"

"It's okay," Harry interrupted her self-accusations. "We're both here and no harm is done."

"But it was close," she objected. "I didn't warn you about the border and how it can manifest itself in different ways."

_Does she already know?_ He wondered. _Nah, it's not that hard to guess._ "Well, I've got my warning from other people around here, and your Mum explained to me how it works… Though I kind of wonder why there was no sign that it's dangerous to cross it?"

Luna shifted uncomfortably. "It's not common for someone to come here for a visit, but there are warning signs, plenty of them actually. It's just that people with no knowledge of metaphysical world usually can't _see_ well enough… But they aren't supposed to be visiting in the first place," she finished unhappily. Harry thought that her guilt was misplaced and tried to comfort her.

"Well, it could've just been an accident or something," he summed up. "Or maybe it was my fault. You know, some errant thought or a mistake before you took me here, just like that. You certainly needn't feel all guilty and run off to this place. Your voice is lovely, by the way…"

He trailed off, mortified. _Did I just say that? What's wrong with me?.._

The barely noticeable glow around Luna instantly brightened, and he felt his skin tingling slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly. "Mummy used to sing this song to me when I felt really bad. It is about this place, the Magic Meadow. I came here before when I needed comfort and couldn't find her..."

As she spoke, Harry looked at her more attentively. While the very air around Luna seemed to shimmer, the light was brightest around the ring on her finger, which looked like it was made of molten silver, and around the tiny charm on the lace she always wore to protect herself from Nargles. Curious…

"You know, you're sort of… glowing. Is it normal?" he asked clumsily. The girl laughed melodiously.

"Silly, I'm supposed to. I'm Luna after all. The metaphysical plane flushes out what you truly are. Look at yourself, you don't need glasses here and bear no scar."

"I – what?" he reached out for his forehead in astonishment. How come he never noticed this before?

"In here, all flaws of the physical world are mended," she smiled. "And nothing evil can enter this land. Eths protect their home, you know."

"Eths?" Harry quickly recalled all he has heard about these mysterious beings. "I don't remember seeing any."

"Perhaps you didn't look," she shrugged. "They are always there when you need them. In this realm, at least."

She motioned him to sit down and sat next to him. "I tried to find you too, you know. But you were out of reach, so I asked them to keep you safe. It was all I could do at that time."

"But… If you ask me, this is the safest place I've ever seen in all my life," Harry replied in confusion, glancing around. The peaceful meadow they were in seemed to _radiate_ quiet joy and safety, as if they were surrounded by a dozen of Patronuses. "Was it really necessary?"

Luna sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Her glow diminished almost to none.

"While evil can't enter this land, there are certain dangers even here, unfortunately. You might cross the border in spite of all warnings, like you have almost done, or you might simply come to love this world too much and stay here willingly. Why else do you think so few of the people who faced it had lived to tell about the experience?"

Having not told her yet of his roaming around the border, Harry raised an eyebrow. It was either Luna already knew somehow, or just had a lot of own experience. Which reminded him…

"But you were coming here before and still lived, after several times. Even your mother said so –"

Luna looked up at him with such an expression that he regretted opening his mouth. Her next words cut right through his heart. "Only because Daddy is still not here. Otherwise, I might've stayed here as well. It's not like I have any other close family in the physical world."

"Don't say this, Luna!" He forcefully gripped her shoulders, ignoring her transparent aura, which promptly enveloped his hands as well. "Don't you ever say this! We are here for you – all of us in the Core."

He felt both angry and afraid. He wasn't about to lose one more friend, even to the heavenly afterlife like this. His anger however wasn't so much directed at Luna as at himself. If she didn't feel that anyone needed her, then clearly he failed at being her friend. And he really really didn't like it. Luna's sincerely surprised face didn't make him feel any better.

"You _are_ our friend, Luna," he tried to make his point as clear as possible. "And friends support each other, and we'll support you no matter what. And you know –" he was suddenly struck by an unexpected inspiration, "– while looking for you, I've met the old Guardian Caelumen, and he asked me to tell you that you need to fulfil your duty, whatever it means. And I am – I'm sure all of us will be willing to help you however we can."

Luna blinked. Slowly her expression changed from surprised to determined, and her glow became bright and steady. Tingling in Harry's fingers reminded him that he was still holding her, and he reluctantly let go as she stood up.

"Harry, you are absolutely right," she spoke, sounding ashamed. "I suppose I've let the solitude get to me and disregarded the possibility that there still are people who care. I see now that it would be terribly unfair to you if I chose to stay here permanently. For all what matters, I'm sorry. Not to mention that I do have a responsibility in the world of living…"

This time, Harry couldn't help gently hugging her in spite of his trepidation, knowing that she needed some reassurance. In response, Luna smiled and closed her eyes as her hands found their way to his shoulders. Surprisingly, it made him feel better as well. He felt he could stay like this forever… too bad their time there was limited.

"It's all right. You know, I was thinking about staying too, but we can't do it now. Riddle is still a threat, and besides your Mum said we ought to wait till our time to enjoy this world fully. Though I hope to come here for a visit again sometime."

"And perhaps you will," Luna broke their hug and stepped back. "If you don't mind me asking, could you tell me how did you meet the Guardian? He is said to be very reclusive."

"Sure," Harry spent the next several minutes telling her of what he has seen and heard since waking up. She listened to him very attentively, particularly to the first part.

"I'll need to thank Leslie when I see her," she mused. "It's good that she's staying in this part, even though she has returned from another world…"

"How is it so?" He wondered aloud. "I mean, if there's another world she came from, shouldn't there be another metaphysical world or something?"

Luna shook her head. "Eden is more than a world, Harry. It is the place above, where walls between different dimensions blur and fade. I believe it is actually possible to travel from there to any world that exists. The only fuel you'd need is your imagination."

"Like the one which brought us here?" Harry quipped.

"Exactly," she confirmed. "You can also use it to see the parts of the border corresponding to other worlds than our own if you like, that's what she was doing. With her open mind I suppose she even might have been my dimensional twin in her own world…"

Recalling how this girl came to be beyond the border, Harry privately hoped that nothing of that sort would ever happen to his friend.

"I do wonder about this black thing you mentioned," she frowned. "You said it appeared sort of bound to you… Perhaps that's what Professor Dumbledore meant –"

That caught his attention all right. "Dumbledore? You mean you've met him here? What did he say?"

Harry was beyond excited. Perhaps they could go back to wherever the Headmaster was now and have all his questions answered...

"Well, I was trying to find you, so I looked around. When I found you weren't with me…"

* * *

Travel to the antechamber of Eden went wrong from the start. Instead of simply finding herself in her favorite forest, Luna felt a powerful jerk and an unexpected flash of light, and then she stopped feeling Harry's presence next to her. To top it off, the forest she appeared in was clearly different. She could feel the disturbance her unintended appearance has caused even as it calmed down. Promptly she reached out with her senses, trying to figure out what has happened. The feedback could be roughly translated as 'Non-critical error. Transfer redirected. Apologies for inconvenience.'

And not a word about Harry.

Knowing that further inquiry would be just as fruitless, she tried to will herself into appearing at the place she originally intended. In an instant she was in yet another forest, but still not the one. Tentative probing with her senses yielded a response approximately equal to 'Requested area temporarily inaccessible. Redirection to the closest match. Try again later.'

The response ended with a comforting wave of energy, which was meant to reassure her that the problem would be fixed very soon. Still, she couldn't allow herself to just relax and wait. Harry knew next to nothing about Eden and the border. Now that she thought about it, Luna was ready to kick herself. How she could allow him to enter the metaphysical plane unprepared? Sure, she had fully expected that they would appear at the same location and she'd have time to explain what was safe and what wasn't. But now she was in one part of the eternal realm, and he was somewhere else without any idea what was going on…

Fortunately, one of the powers of Eden and its antechamber was to detect and dissolve any dark feelings almost instantly, as well as provide quick answers to any clearly formulated questions. This time was no exception as the solution readily popped up in her mind. Smiling briefly, she spoke in her mind, explaining the whole situation to the nearby Eth guards and asking to ensure Harry's safety. There was no distinct reply, but on the inside she knew she was heard and the request was acknowledged. Not that she wouldn't try to find him herself.

Since the intended forest area was closed off, Luna tried an alternate approach. She concentrated on a place where Harry would most likely have ended up on his own.

She blinked, taking in the new location, which suspiciously resembled Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Then it dawned on her. Of course. Harry grew up in the Muggle world. Naturally he would see the platform as the border between one life and the next… Speaking of the border, while it wasn't quite as clearly defined at this area, it was still there, and someone from the other side could appear there as well.

As on the cue, she sensed a moderately familiar presence.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," she spoke aloud vaguely. It wouldn't do to forfeit the manners, metaphysical world or not.

The old Headmaster's appearance didn't change much. The only visible difference was the expression, which at the moment was uncharacteristically surprised.

"My, my, this is quite unexpected," he spoke with the trace of worry. "Miss Lovegood, as much as it pleases me to see you again, I admit I'm rather curious of the circumstances that led to this meeting."

"Did you see Harry?" she countered with the most pressing question of her own. "I've helped him to make it here, but we got separated and now I'm looking for him."

If anything, it made Dumbledore even more worried.

"Harry… is here too?" now he sounded outright alarmed. "But… Has he already accomplished his mission? Did he face Tom Riddle again?"

Luna shook her head. For a moment Dumbledore's eyes became utterly defeated, before changing to cautiously hopeful.

"Maybe it's not too late yet," he muttered. "But he shouldn't have come here so early. It wasn't how I planned… Now I wonder if Harry will have any chance at all…"

Luna couldn't help shivering. Did she unintentionally harm Harry instead of helping him? _Highmaster, please no!_

"Why?" she asked him bluntly. But apparently the question wasn't specific enough to yield full answer from the Headmaster.

"I had a plan to defeat Tom put in motion before coming here," he answered slowly with a slight reluctance. "But I didn't count on Harry's travel here before final confrontation. Then again, it is now clear that I didn't consider far too many things and underestimated a lot of people… like I've never expected to find myself at _his_ mercy… It begins to look like things ceased going my way the moment I got here. At such rate I might be stuck here for a long time."

His forlorn expression touched Luna, but she was more worried about Harry.

"So you didn't see Harry," she concluded. "I should continue my search, then."

Dumbledore nodded. "Although I would still like to know how exactly you were able to reach here without crossing the border, the time is essence at the moment. Try to find Harry before– before it's too late. It's rather critical that he goes back to life quickly. Otherwise, his inevitable battle with Tom might become… problematic."

As much as she wanted to inquire further, she knew there wasn't much time. Having said quick goodbye to the Headmaster, the girl willed herself into the forest she originally intended. She instantly recognized the place and for a moment thought all was right… but then she understood that Harry was nowhere nearby.

Promptly reaching the border, Luna extended her senses again but still didn't feel Harry's familiar presence. She was getting worried. Did she come too late? Did Harry cross the border after all? She quickly ejected the latter thought from her consciousness. Eths wouldn't let him come to harm… but then again, what if they thought that crossing the border would grant Harry the much-deserved relief from the pains of mortal world?

Luna's fear grew as she remembered that some visitors liked Eden's antechamber so much that they _chose_ to stay there. She needed to find Harry, but didn't know where to look. Quick mental query provided the not-quite unexpected but still rather uninformative advice to calm down. As if it was so easy with her best friend balancing between life and afterlife.

The underlying feeling of guilt was getting stronger. If she didn't offer to bring Harry here, none of that would have happened. And now she didn't know if she would be able to go back herself, should she not find him.

While the antechamber of Eden freed people from darkness, its light power didn't work as effectively against self-blame, especially if it was deserved. As the core of the soul, conscience could still override any external influence. There was only one place Luna knew of where she could find relief.

Her concentration slipped for a moment, though, as she found herself at the grim Cliffs of Remorse. _Not really surprising._

Asking Eths for a bit of strength, she sent herself to the intended destination.

* * *

"…and this is how it was," Luna finished her tale. "I've kind of got lost in my mind while resting here, and… well, you saw how I reacted."

Harry was surprised to see her blush slightly. _This must really be the day of firsts._ He shook his head, gathering his thoughts.

Dumbledore's brief conversation with Luna disturbed him. Why would his visit here compromise his chances against Voldemort?_ Does it have something to do with that black thing? _What_ was it, anyway?_

As soon as he thought it, an idea started forming in his mind, quickly flashing a series of images. _Black thing – scar – Voldemort – …_

"Horcrux," he spoke aloud. Luna looked up at him, her glow fading fully.

"This thing must have been a Horcrux! But it means –" he found himself unable to finish the phrase. But Luna already connected the dots herself.

"It was imbedded in your scar," she finished grimly. "This is how you were connected to Riddle and had these visions."

Harry cringed. Dumbledore never told him that, and he doubted that a wizard of his caliber could _not_ realize this. For a moment he wondered whether his trust in the old grandfatherly Headmaster was misplaced…

"But now it is destroyed and you don't need to worry about it anymore," Luna continued decisively.

"But why would Dumbledore keep it from me?" he couldn't help letting it out. "And why would he want me to keep it – he of all people should know that I never wanted this connection between Riddle and myself!"

She fell silent for several seconds, thinking. _Or perhaps, asking Eths, whatever they are,_ Harry thought.

"Removing something that dark from a living creature would have been most complicated and potentially fatal for the host," she said cautiously. "I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore simply didn't know the way to do it safely and didn't want to scare you. And if Riddle were to attack you with Killing Curse, it might've killed the Horcrux instead of you… though I definitely wouldn't bet on it."

Harry inhaled deeply, intending to speak a few choice words concerning Dumbledore's strategy, but the magic of the meadow chose that particular moment to kick in, extinguishing his anger and replacing it with calm logic, which dictated that if Dumbledore's intentions were dubious indeed, he would hardly have ended up in Eden's vicinity.

"You're right," he exhaled. "It's one more Horcrux down, anyway."

He smirked. _It alone is worth the whole risky trip._

And now that they were together at last and finished catching up, he was free to go looking for his parents and Sirius, or to go back to Dumbledore for a more extensive interrogation…

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle mental push, which felt like a reminder of the time they already spent there. Apparently Luna felt it as well.

Her expression started shifting to guilty again, but Harry would have none of it.

"Luna," he promptly improvised, "Thank you a lot for opportunity to visit this amazing place and learn so much from it."

This effectively defused the situation as the girl smiled brightly, brightening herself. "It was my pleasure, Harry. I always wanted to share this with someone."

She then took hold of his hand, the tingling sensation returning. "Come on. I'll show you how to return to physical world." She sighed lightly. "As much as I'd like to see Mummy again before going back, you need guidance for the first time."

Harry had no objections. As they left the meadow, he looked back for the last time, fully intending to come here again sometime in the future. _Come here again with Luna,_ his inner voice amended. This was _their_ place, the secret they now shared together…

He blinked, realizing that they've already moved to a different area. Again, this was a forest of sorts, but this time there were many pools of water among the trees.

Luna led him to one of the pools and crouched next to it, looking into the water. He mimicked her motions and looked down too. In spite of appearing shallow like an oversized puddle, the pool was actually rather deep. The crystal pure water allowed him to see through it down to the strange-looking bottom. There was something in there that attracted his attention. The more he looked, the clearer the image became. Finally he realized with shock that he was staring at his own body next to Luna's on the grass in the forest clearing. That was when Luna squeezed his hand.

"Dive on three," she instructed. Normally Harry would've questioned such action, but after seeing so many incredible and irrational things today he just stopped relying on common sense. His body tensed, preparing for the jump.

"Three!" Luna commanded abruptly and jumped into the pool, pulling Harry in with her.

A kaleidoscope of lights exploded before his eyes and then his consciousness went numb and faded away.

* * *

He was slowly regaining awareness, trying to organize his jumbled thoughts, which at this point consisted mostly of questions.

_What the heck has just happened?_

He felt like he had a bit too many Butterbeers mixed with Firewhisky, and his head was positively ready to split. There was a stream of colorful images passing rapidly in front of his eyes, but he couldn't make out anything. Finally he managed to pry open his eyes to find that everything around blurred beyond recognition.

He blinked and tried to focus his vision before realizing that his glasses must've fallen off. Reaching out and groping blindly, he finally found them and put them on, exhaling in relief as the world around him became distinguishable.

He was still in the forest clearing just as few – seconds? hours? days? – ago, the only difference was that he was all alone.

"Oh, not again!" he groaned, before wondering what has caused such a reaction. His memories of what has transpired were tangled to such a degree that not even Snape could possibly make anything of them. The last thing he solidly remembered was being in that very clearing with Luna. What has followed had something to do with her… and with him… He tried harder to remember. And then nearly jumped as his brain finally caught up with the fact that Luna was missing.

He got up to his feet and reached for his wand, just in case. The headache was quickly subsiding and his other senses were making themselves known as he registered a weird sensation on his lips. Licking them, he felt a strange taste, which somehow reminded him of Luna. That left him a bit dumbfounded. More than a bit as he understood the implications. _Did she –_

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sneering voice coming from behind.

"Well, well, look whom we got."

* * *

A/N: I had to work for some time just to get the rust off my writing skills. And I'm still not sure this is one of my better chapters. As always, feel free to criticize. Harry might seem a little OOC in this chapter, but this time it was done on purpose. I'm not really sure myself if the third cliffhanger in a row was originally planned and I'm still debating whether to make this person friend or foe… Time will tell, I guess.

(13) "No one is held to impossible" (Latin)  
(14) "The price of immortality is love"; "Love gives true immortality" (Latin)  
(15) "I have spoken and saved my soul" (Latin)  
(16) "If you reprove one error, you will correct a hundred" (Latin)  
(17) "Erana's Peace Vocal Rendition" by **ZarlaSheenaza**. Look up the link on my profile page, it's worth listening to!


	10. Interlude 2: The Gathering

Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

A/N: To all of my reviewers, thank you for your support! And my apologies for inexcusably long delays between the updates. I hoped to get two new chapters done before the New Year, but as usual, real life interfered. So here's the first interim chapter.

**Interlude 2: The Gathering**

_Smithson's villa in Florida; night earlier_

Jake Smithson frowned. Timur was late, and his own schedule couldn't afford much longer delay. Fortunately the others have already arrived. He cringed inwardly. What was planned as a private meeting between the Conclave leader and him, quickly expanded to an unofficial gathering of several key members and their proxies. Timur insisted on bringing along his apprentice Dmitri and on the presence of the other North-American member, Keesh Red Feather. Turned out the latter was unavailable as his proxy White Buffalo has informed Jake. Although perhaps it was a blessing, Smithson had thought, otherwise that werewolf would probably have shown up too… Relief was short-lived, as Abdullah somehow has heard about the meeting and instantly signed up for it under the excuse of discussing more urgent political matters with him, which he wasn't looking forward to in the slightest. And when Gandhi has matter-of-factly informed him of attendance as well, Jake just made arrangements for dinner at his private villa, praying to Highmaster that there be no more party crashers.

"Daddy?"

He broke away from his troubled thoughts, turning to smile at his daughter. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Timur and Dmitri have arrived," the young woman smiled back.

He sighed in relief. "Thank you, Elyssa. I'll show them in. You go to the hall and get the others."

Putting on the table the copy of _Quantum Theory of Magic_ she was carrying, Elyssa nodded and left the room, pausing only to mutter a short Etherei phrase under her breath. Smithson's spirits lifted. _Thanks Highmaster she's as gifted as I am._ _More so 'cause it's a thorn in this ridiculous theory of Western inferiority…_ All of sudden, the gathering appeared much more bearable.

"Evening, Jake," Timur greeted the host amiably as the two wizards in Muggle clothes entered the house. "Forgive us for tardiness. Who could have thought that traffic would be _that_ bad at this hour."

"I suppose you could have just Apparated to the guest point?" Smithson replied dryly, raising his eyebrows. Old wizard just chuckled. The younger man shrugged shyly.

"Thank you, but I much rather prefer the normal way when possible. Besides, it gave us some more time to mingle with ordinary people. After all, having magic is not an excuse for overusing it. It tends to make us wizards haughty and aloof to our non-magical brethren."

Jake frowned. For all his faults, he never considered himself and wizards in general above the Muggle people. "Still, what's the purpose of our advantages if we don't use them? Does it really matter if they are technological or magical? Like they say, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and vice versa I may add."

Timur sighed. "This is an old argument between us, my friend. Though I'll admit, perhaps I'm becoming too old for this quick-paced advancement of nowadays… Now, I believe the others are waiting for us. Perhaps we shall resume it some other time?"

Smithson agreed. It was rather late anyway and they still had a serious discussion ahead. So he led his guests to the dining hall where the other guests had already assembled. Abdullah was the first to notice the newcomers.

"Greetings, _Eth_endi Timur. Salam, Dmitri friend," he bowed slightly in respect. White Buffalo limited with a simple hello. Gandhi just smiled mysteriously, his eyes twinkling. Elyssa smiled amiably and showed them to their seats.

After the delicious meal the mood of the gathering somewhat sombered. As Jake's daughter non-verbally cleaned up the table before leaving, the host started, looking at Timur pointedly: "I believe we have a matter to discuss."

"Several actually," Abdullah corrected darkly. "And I don't mean just those political disagreements."

"Before we start," Timur interfered, "I'd like to know why Keesh has been unable to attend." He gazed directly at White Buffalo. The Native American shifted uneasily.

"Self-assigned mission in a remote region. He should be back before long."

Smithson turned to him, his curiosity piqued.

"A mission? Then why I wasn't informed? All our activity on this continent should be co-ordinated with my office lest we attract the unlikely attention from the Ministry for Magic or, Highmaster forbid, Muggle government. I can't afford covertly interfering with them too much. It's enough that we keep messing with satellite photos and the technicians who monitor them!"

"You do it on your Ministry's orders, not ours," Abdullah noticed offhandedly. Jake's face darkened. Were it up to him, the entire interaction policy would have been drastically different.

"Speaking of the Ministry," White Buffalo interrupted, seemingly glad about distraction, "There are some questions concerning the use of magic in your recent HAARP project. My sources indicate that several Tesla's spells have been involved." This statement earned a couple of concerned looks.

"Of course they were," Smithson forced out, irritated. "How else are we supposed to re-establish contact with _them_?"

Several members glanced at each other. "But it will never come even close to the Ei Emitter of the ancients," Dmitri spoke uncertainly, entering the discussion for the first time.

_Which translates to 'why even try?'_ Jake thought. "And we shall never find it until the search succeeds," he said aloud. It triggered another round of glances.

"It has been almost a century and half," White Buffalo spoke cautiously. "Sometimes I wonder if _it _was just destroyed…" Jake nearly groaned at the outlandish suggestion, and Timur and Gandhi stared at the speaker.

"_It _is the_ thing-in-itself, _the perfect magical matrix!" he tried to hold his temper in check, explaining the basic things. "_It_ cannot be destroyed by either darkest of magics, nuclear weapons, or even the M-Nullifier." _Not that anyone ever tried_, he added inwardly.

"Which brings me to the reason for this whole… gathering," he continued, glaring at Timur. "Which was supposed to be private."

"Speak freely," the old wizard replied. "All of us here are Conclave members in good standing."

Jake wanted to argue that White Buffalo was only temporarily replacing Keesh and Dmitri was just an apprentice, but then though better of it.

"The expedition in Mexico found nothing. Yet another failure." While it was nothing new, since he and the others received similar reports yearly, it still irritated him every time. _If only I could get my hands on the one who caused all this mess in the first place…_

"And on top of this, Muggles have restarted their attempts to locate the artifact sites. And they are putting more effort this time. Expeditions must finally succeed before they reach them. I'm doing what I can, but I can misguide their special services only for so long. And my contacts in CIA and NASA say they are getting closer, particularly in a Bermuda region."

Abdullah and White Buffalo again exchanged glances, however Timur appeared untroubled: "They won't be able to access them. Even we cannot access them yet, even knowing their approximate locations."

"And this is precisely why the search must be finished in this century!" Smithson pressed on. "The longer they remain unattended, the higher is risk of global disaster. Need I reminding you of the World Wars? Were _it_ in our hands all these years ago, they might have been prevented..."

Timur sighed sadly. "I wish for the success as much as you do. But you know well that it's beyond our abilities to will expeditions into success. Even if all twelve gather and form the Circle."

"But we can ensure that Muggles stop interfering, once and for all," Jake replied ingratiatingly. "Requesting permission for _special_ measures."

Abruptly, Timur's expression changed. Abdullah, Dmitri and White Buffalo tensed.

"Denied. No matter what, lives of innocents are off limits," he answered sternly. His powerful tone of authority caused Smithson to recoil slightly.

"Whatever you say, _Archon_," he spat out. "_You_ decide. It's not like sticking to ethical policy has brought our numbers irreparably low… yet."

"Only Highmaster decides," the Archon of the Conclave replied quietly. "We can only try to follow the path we were shown. All of us know _where_ it leads in the end."

The tension in the room dissipated. After all, every Conclave member could access the extra-dimensional realm, if only for a short time. And anyone who touched Eden's antechamber even once always kept these indescribable memories for the rest of their lives.

Smithson seemed to remember it as well, as he had the grace to look sheepish and apologize for a momentary outburst.

"I really worry about the global dynamics of our numbers, though," he added. "Even with the slight increase during the last twenty years, I still think that organized expansion beyond the Wizarding world is necessary. Unless the Projector works like it should after all and the world becomes a better place for the younger generation."

"Now that it was mentioned," Gandhi spoke for the first time, startling Dmitri who was sitting next to him, "What results have we achieved so far?"

"Pathetic. _They_ seem to either ignore us or treat like something insignificant," Jake said curtly.

"Or maybe we're doing something _wrong_," Abdullah put in. Timur shifted slightly as his intuition prompted him to memorize this suggestion for further pondering.

"Anyway," his Deputy summed up, "Until the search succeeds, we're in a stalemate."

"Not that there's much we can do…" Timur said thoughtfully. "Dmitri and I have drawn up some plans for the next expedition. I'm going to present them during the next full gathering."

The mention of the gathering triggered something in Jake's memory.

"Speaking of the gathering, are there any news about…" he hesitated for a moment, glancing at the strangely silent White Buffalo and Dmitri. "…the situation in Britain?"

"No more that I know of," the Archon replied. _Unless, purely hypothetically, Viktor has kept some details both from him and his Deputy._

"We _could_ have had some by now," Jake glared at Abdullah and Gandhi. "Perhaps, if someone had reconsidered…"

The Iranian frowned and shook his head. The Brahmin priest remained serene.

"You of all people should've voted for immediate action!" Smithson pressed on. "After all, it is said that your own distant cousins are attending the British school of magic."

"My daughter-in-law's actually," Gandhi corrected with dignity. "And I believe the implied threat from the _rift_ is exaggerated."

_To say nothing about the general situation in that country,_ several other men thought. But interfering with the local wizarding affairs was one of the last things they could afford. It's been this way for almost century and half after all…

* * *

The wizards slowly dispersed as the conversation took more down-to-earth turn. While Smithson and Abdullah occupied themselves with sharp political debates, the others excused themselves one by one. White Buffalo was the first, which slightly surprised Timur. He was hoping to ask more about Keesh's absence, and wondered what the Native American was up to. Recalling that Xavia's proxy and foster brother Xeno LeRean was rather elusive lately, he suspected that she was in on it as well. Memorizing this train of thoughts for later, he went to find his apprentice, looking around in process. Conclave members generally didn't keep secrets from each other and, being invited, were allowed to explore most of the house, including the sizeable library which the technology expert of the Conclave had collected over the years. Besides, the modest-looking villa could be converted to a nearly impregnable fortress at a moment's notice, since Jake's position in an American Ministry for Magic required certain security levels.

Timur found Dmitri in an interesting conversation with Jake's daughter Elyssa, pausing before entering the room.

"…so you see, in the end Eths were immune to deception. Archon Timur theorizes that this was the reason for their race's grand success in an Ancient era… and the fundamental reason for their fallout with the humans in the Middle Ages. 'Someone who can't be tricked can't be trusted' and all that posh. That Dementor conflict was merely an excuse in the end."

Elyssa was curious. "And have you ever seen one?"

"Well, during my first excursion out there my side vision noticed a female Eth – well, it looked female to me; they don't have genders in physical meaning of the term and even in mental sense it's a variable, though it doesn't seem to prevent them from finding soulmates and having families… I often wonder whether they are absolutely immortal or have some kind of reproduction cycle, unique to their species. Now that I think of it, they might be closer to Phoenixes in this matter…"

The young woman nodded, taking all of this in. Timur recalled that she was just as gifted as her father and was well informed of the Conclave and its purpose, even though her interest in taking up either of Jake's jobs was quite superficial. From what he has heard, she was pursuing the career of lawyer, both in Magical and mundane worlds. In fact, such specialists were rather in a high demand by Muggleborn families since unlike more traditional Britain, they were very integrated into magical society in North America.

Still, the Archon saw it fit to interrupt the conversation. Being a single father, Smithson naturally tended to be overprotective of his daughter even after she came of age, and was rather cautious of young men who tried (at least in his eyes) to court her. And being a high-ranked member of both Conclave and the Ministry for Magic really didn't help in this case.

"Dmitri, Miss Smithson?"

"Archon Timur, sir?" the two turned to face him.

"I don't mean to be rude, but with us arriving late, it would only be a polite gesture to leave earlier, Dmitri. I'm sure our host would appreciate it."

"Oh, you're more than welcome to stay overnight," Elyssa objected. "Surely my father will understand. We have enough guest rooms for all of you, _Æstêi_." (18)

Dmitri blinked at the Etherei word and Timur's eyes twinkled. It was always refreshing to see young people interested in the old ways.

"Thank you, dear one," he replied in English, "But we really should be going. Dmitri and I still have a lot of work to do. After all, when the eternal realm finally takes me in, he will take my place on the Conclave."

"May it not happen for years to come," she respectfully replied. "Whatever my father might say, the Conclave needs your wisdom and arcane skills. After all, you were chosen as Master Tesla's successor for a reason."

"More than just being his own apprentice and the ongoing Great Patriotic War," Dmitri added.

Timur narrowed his eyes slightly, not liking to remember those years. At the same time he was pleased with Elyssa's consideration and level of understanding. _Maybe she'll yet reconsider about working with the Conclave one day…_

Still, it was close to local midnight, and they needed to be in another hemisphere by dawn, so after short goodbyes the two wizards got ready to depart.

"May the Highmaster light your way, looks like you'll need it," Elyssa said in farewell, having glanced at the window. Dmitri just chuckled and nonverbally summoned a will-o'-wisp. His mentor shook his head. Hopefully the young man wasn't just trying to show off…

* * *

**Explanations**:

(18) Etherei word literally meaning "siblings", commonly used for generic addressing.

**Teaser** for the next chapter:

_Just as Harry turned to the nearest escape route, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Luna in the nearby clearing and an unfamiliar red-headed man right behind her. Instantly figuring that it was too late to warn her, he did the first thing which came to his mind._

"_Accio Luna!"_


	11. Chapter 8: Return of the Female Marauder

A/N: Unable to finish the work on the intended chapter in time, reasons for which I don't want to go into, I've settled on posting its first half for now. The full version will be uploaded upon completion. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Merry Christmas and happy New Year, everyone.

A/N2: Any volunteering beta-readers for this story will be welcomed.

**Chapter 8: Return of the Female Marauder Part 1**

"Well, well, look whom we got."

Harry promptly got a grip on his wand before turning. Standing behind was blonde woman in khaki suit, who gave him a superior smirk. He only started shifting his wand to her general direction before she shot him a warning growl, baring her teeth.

"Forrget it. I could kill you before you manage a single spell."

For a moment he could swear that the pupils in her amber eyes narrowed. Just as he was considering his options, he noticed a big black bird silently landing about twenty feet behind her back.

_Nevermore?_ He wondered, thinking about Luna's raven she used to send messages. _What is he doing here?_

Before he could ponder it further, the bird transformed into a black-haired woman in grey cloak which he recognized as yet another Stealth Cloak. However, before she made a movement and he could judge who was foe and who was not, the blonde woman snorted.

"Not bad. But I could smell you even beforre you landed!"

Instantly she ducked and rolled away from the line of fire, getting back at her feet and extracting two Muggle handguns in process. Pointing one at each opponent, she snarled: "Now be reasonable, both of you, beforre I get really mad!"

The sarcastic part of Harry's mind wondered if it was too late for that. Then he went back to serious, taking notice of the knife holster on her ankle in addition to her other weapons. Whoever this person was, she was dangerous. Meanwhile, noticing the other woman's choice of attire, the blonde did a double take.

"Wherre did you get it?" she asked suspiciously, still keeping both of them at a gunpoint.

The black-haired woman in cloak looked totally undaunted.

"Drop your toys," she advised calmly. "Before I make you."

The gun-wielding woman just snorted. Momentarily forgotten, Harry managed to point his wand at her, perceiving as a greater threat, and whispered: "_Expelliarmus_."

To his surprise, the spell had no effect at all. The blonde just chuckled. "See what I mean? Now, you two –"

She never got to finish before a male voice called out from somewhere nearby: "Xavia? Are you there? Is everything alright?"

The woman with guns looked irritated and called back: "Just wait a minute, Keesh!"

The black haired woman however nearly lost her composure: "_Xavia?_"

She then quickly made a strange gesture, placing her hand to heart and then opening it palm forward. At this point Xavia's attention completely left Harry.

"Who're you? Who's yourr patron?"

"Viktor," the other woman replied, never taking her eyes from opponent. Harry raised his eyebrows, recalling the only Viktor he knew, but this was not the good time to indulge his curiosity. He had to get away from these two and find Luna before Xavia's friend came to her aid…

Just as Harry turned to the nearest escape route, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Luna in the nearby clearing and an unfamiliar red-headed man right behind her. Instantly figuring that it was too late to warn her, he did the first thing which came to his mind.

"_Accio_ Luna!"

This impulsive action caused several things to happen in a rapid succession.

Luna tumbled in his direction with genuinely surprised expression, hitting the ground. Xavia turned on a spot and pounced at him, somehow switching her guns with army knife and kicking away his wand in process. His instinctive attempt to block her was met with a quick slash, which drew blood from his palm. But their scuffle gave black-haired woman the opportunity she needed. As she pointed her wand at them and opened her mouth –

"Stop now, all of you!" a powerful voice rang through the clearing, effectively halting the conflict before it escalated even further.

Tall red-haired man now stood in front of them imposingly. Luna got back on her feet, clutching her hand. Xavia froze, her knife inches away from Harry's jugular. The other woman paused, watching the unfolding events with narrowed eyes.

"Xavia, what were you thinking?" he continued, before turning to the other witch. After a few moments her suspicious expression subsided and she repeated her previous gesture. The man appeared faintly surprised.

"Harry!" Luna came to his rescue. "It's okay, Miss LeRean, he's with me."

Xavia got away from the boy, still glaring at him. As Luna helped him up, he noticed a bloody scratch on her hand, left by the fall. He immediately felt guilty.

"And Aunt Florence! Nice to see you again," Luna addressed the dark-haired woman as if nothing happened.

Harry blinked several times. Apparently Luna knew all these people. And other than this Xavia, they appeared quite non-hostile.

"Harry, these are Mr. Keesh Red Feather and Miss Xavia LeRean. And this is Ms. Florence Fortescue," Luna did the introductions, "Mr. Red Feather, Miss LeRean, Aunt Florence, this is my friend Harry Potter."

Xavia's glare finally lost its intensity. Keesh appeared outright friendly and slightly concerned. Florence Fortescue (_is she related to Florean from Diagon Alley?_ he wondered) remained fairly calm, her expression unreadable.

"Good to see you again," she suddenly spoke dryly, breaking the tension among the adults. "Though what were you doing out here is beyond my understanding. Now look where it got you!"

At this point Harry recalled the reason why they came there in the first place and felt his heart dropping in his stomach.

"How long I was out?" he asked no one in particular, inwardly dreading the answer.

"How would I know? I just got here," Florence shrugged.

"Not too long, I think," Keesh supplied reassuringly. "We were coming to help you anyway, as Luna has asked."

Xavia looked like she wanted to let out some scathing remark, but he interrupted her.

"Now, what did you think you were doing, attacking him like this?" he glanced at Harry, his expression serious.

The woman shrugged.

"Wazn't my intention. When I saw him first, wazn't sure if he was a th'reat. Th'en she came along," she nodded at Florence. "Had to put th'em at a gunpoint, just in case. Didn't intend to attack of course: if I rreally wanted to, I could kill 'em both with one arrm tied behind my back…" Florence gave her a dark look, clearly disbelieving.

"And th'en he," Xavia glared accusingly at Harry, "Harms _her_ with a spell –"

"I was only trying to protect Luna!" he argued half-heartedly. "I didn't know you were all friends, and…"

"Thank you, Harry," the girl said affectionately. "But there was no need to do this. Even if there was a threat, I wasn't that far away from you."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, looking up at her. "I didn't mean… you know…"

"This reminds me," Florence interfered, "A couple of minor healing spells seems in order."

Receiving a nod from Keesh, she instantly healed their cuts with a nonverbal spell.

"So, all is well that ends well. Miss LeRean wouldn't have really hurt you anyway," Luna spoke to Harry serenely.

"Of course not! I aimed to incapacitate, not kill," Xavia huffed indignantly.

"Now what were you two th'inkin'?" she turned to the teenagers, letting out her displeasure at the situation. "Asleep out zere –"

"We weren't asleep, we were just _out there_," Luna objected. Harry tried to understand what she meant as his memory was still slightly unclear. Xavia rolled her eyes.

"Alone. In unprotected place. Grreat packleaders!"

"Don't be hard on them, Xavia," Keesh said placatingly. "They are here and they are safe now."

His companion hmmphed.

"Am I correct in presuming that we're here for the same purpose?" Florence spoke somewhat imperiously, apparently having figured something out. The other two adults stared at her.

"Possibly," Keesh cautiously replied. "You are –?"

"Viktorr's," Xavia supplied.

The man nodded understandingly. "I didn't expect him to question the decision… Well, all the better…"

While they were conversing, Harry turned to Luna.

"Where did you go?" he asked quietly. "I was worried about you."

"Sorry," she replied bashfully. "You didn't wake up immediately. I thought giving you CPR would help, but…"

Harry raised his eyebrows as she blushed slightly. He almost jumped however when he noticed Xavia sniffing the air near him with her teeth bared. Noticing his expression, she shrank back and tried to twist her lips into smile.

"Don't worrry, I don't bite. Unless you tick me off."

"She's just joking, never mind her," Keesh quickly added.

Suddenly Xavia stepped away from Luna, snarling at something unseen.

"Pleaze, do me a favorr and keep zis th'ing away from me," she let out, glaring at the silver ring on Luna's finger. Harry narrowed his eyes. Now that he thought of it, there was something strangely familiar about this woman, her amber eyes, almost animal-like ferocity…

"Are you –?" he began uncertainly, before she interrupted him.

"A werewolf? Yes, and I'm not ashamed of it. It's my birrthright after all. Now that I th'ink of it, I smell anotherr one on you… both of you…" she gave Luna a somewhat worried look.

"Oh, that would be Professor Lupin," Luna explained. "He's nice." Then she frowned, remembering something.

"Actually, I think we were gone just long enough and should be getting back. We don't want to worry him and the others, right Harry?"

"Sure." He grimly thought that Mrs. Weasley and Remus Lupin were probably rallying the whole Order to search for them already.

Xavia and Keesh exchanged glances.

"Well, we've got what we needed," the man smiled at Luna thankfully. "I hope we will be able to meet again, under a better circumstances."

"But I'm not done here yet," Florence objected, looking at Luna pointedly. "We've got _other things_ to discuss."

"You're welcome to visit us at the Burrow," the girl replied airily. "This is where we're going now." She extracted the set of rusty car keys from her pocket. Black-haired woman started a movement to touch them too before catching herself and reluctantly pulling back. Harry briefly noticed a ring with emerald on her finger, of the same design as Luna's.

"Well, goodbye Mr. Red Feather, goodbye Miss LeRean. See you soon, Aunt Florence," Luna seemed to keep the farewells short. "Come on, Harry," she pressed the Portkey in his hand.

"Goodbye," he said awkwardly just as Luna cast a Protego Charm. The two disappeared with a _pop_.

The remaining adults looked at each other.

"So… you're gonna stay here, then?" Keesh asked Florence uncertainly.

"Of course," she scoffed, sounding almost offended. "I still got work to do, unrelated to the Conclave. And I'm going to make sure the girl is safe, with this Lord Voldything on the loose. It's the least I can do to honor Annabelle's memory… While at it, I think I'll look after Lily's boy as well."

Xavia's mildly fierce look softened. "I remember you now from Jack and Annabelle's wedding," she said quietly. "You kept mostly to yourself back th'en…"

Florence looked up at her in surprise, her own expression softening slightly as well. "I might've seen you there as well, but we never got introduced properly… Were you close with her?"

"She waz my little sister in all but blood," the blonde spoke passionately. "Even th'ough Leia didn't formally adopt me, to me she was ze mother I never had before… And I neverr fully repaid her for all she and Luc had done for me…"

"Same here, I was never there when it mattered," the other woman spat in a fit of sincerity. "With Lily, with Alice, with poor Annie… No surprise Com–" she stopped abruptly, catching herself. The other two looked at her questioningly.

"I need to go after them now," she curtly cut off the conversation. "Farewell."

Without waiting for reply, she transformed back into the avian form and took off, gaining altitude to look for the right direction.

Xavia and Keesh gave each other the '_What-was-this-all-about?_' look before shrugging.

"Back to home, then?" Keesh asked unnecessarily, confident of the answer. His companion surprised him however.

"Forr now, maybe," she acquiesced. "But with zis Dark Lord mentioned, I happen to remember a cerrtain... Greyback in his service…"

The mention of this name instantly brought Keesh on edge, though he didn't show it outwardly.

"Don't worry, it isn't about what you th'ink," Xavia's acute senses detected his discomfort and she tried to get him off this track. It didn't quite work.

"Are you really sure?" he then decided to come clean with his friend. "Look, I know about your childhood. I mean, I heard the rumors. They said you were used as a lab-rat – well, lab-wolf – to develop the cure for lycantropy, and were subjected to some dreadful experiments before Leia got you out… I also heard that Greyback might've been the one –"

"Enough!" Somehow Xavia managed to restrain herself to words only. Probably due to Keesh being her long-time colleague and the partner. Still, his words brought up an unwanted flashback. She shuddered slightly. "I care not forr zis… _beast!_"

"Thought you didn't use this word lightly," he muttered worriedly, mostly to himself. Once again disregarding her superior hearing. The already riled up shewerewolf finally snapped.

"All men arre beasts! Only some disguise it better than ze oth'ers."

Her companion shut his mouth. Even though he was the one who brought up the dangerous topic, he couldn't help being stung by these words. Fortunately it didn't take Xavia long to cool down enough to realize that she said a bit more than was necessary.

"Men, I said. You're an eagle," she grumpily admitted in an implied apology. Keesh Red Feather just blinked at the mention of his totem animal. _Leave it to Xavia to find an excuse like this…_

* * *

_Back at the Burrow_

Luna's emergency Portkey delivered the two to the Headquarters cellar, fortunately unoccupied at the moment. Probably Mad-Eye Moody either didn't return yet, or already left again to look for them. Regardless, Harry decided not to dally downstairs. Thinking about their friends and their prospective reactions, he suggested going up separately. As Luna lightly bounded up the stairs, he took a minute to try and come up with some – any – explanation for their absence. Having figured none – in his defense, he still didn't quite process what exactly has happened to them outside – he dejectedly trudged after his friend. As his luck would have it, he ran straight into Hermione.

"Harry?" the bushy-haired girl looked at him suspiciously. "What is going on? Luna said you two tried practicing hide-and-seek…"

_We WHAT?!_ Harry somehow managed to keep his face straight. _Damn, this girl surely is creative and quick, to make up something like this on such short notice… And technically it isn't that far from truth, all this concealment and search... Wait, what search? What am I thinking about?.._

Hermione continued to stare at him. Fortunately he was saved from further interrogation by the sound of argument coming from the front door. Giving him a look which said it wasn't over, the girl headed there. Wondering what was happening, he followed her.

Remus Lupin, Mrs. Weasley and Luna were already there, the girl explaining something.

"…yes, I know Aunt Florence, she's a good friend of my mother and I've met her before."

"As have I," Lupin said thoughtfully. "I remember her from my Hogwarts years. But why would she come here now of all times?"

"Well, we shall never know for sure until we let her in," Luna reasonably noticed. Harry was slightly surprised. This Fortescue lady was quick as well.

Mrs. Weasley didn't look overly happy at the prospect of letting inside someone unknown but the decision clearly wasn't just hers to make, and Remus looked willing to give the visitor a chance. Finally the door was unlocked, and the raven-haired woman Harry just saw outside entered the house, with more than one wand covertly pointed at her.

"Greetings," she spoke in a less imperious tone than she used earlier. "And my apologies for coming without invitation."

Harry noticed that she was no longer wearing her grey cloak.

"Glad to see you again, Florence," Remus replied courteously. "It's been awhile since we met last."

"Indeed, Remus," she agreed, before turning to Mrs. Weasley. "I'm not sure if we've met before. My name is Florence Fortescue."

"Molly Weasley," the older woman appeared still cautious, but more accepting of the stranger. "If I may, what brings you to our home today?"

Florence lowered her head slightly, glancing at Luna. "I needed to check on my friend's daughter and, seeing as she wasn't at home…"

Interested, Hermione came closer. Florence briefly glanced at her and Harry, but gave no indication of their meeting shortly before.

"I see," Lupin said thoughtfully. "Under the circumstances, I suppose we could let you stay for now, but we'll have to check you out first, you realize."

"Like Hestia's done?" she sighed. "Well, I guess I cannot blame you."

"You've met Jones?" he quickly asked.

"Earlier today. Neither of us expected it, but you know how these things happen." She then turned to Hermione and Harry, waiting for introduction.

"Harry, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley clearly just noticed their presence and made a motion to send them away. "Perhaps you should –"

"No need," Florence interrupted her. "I'm looking forward to meet Luna's friends. Besides, Lily was a good friend of mine as well…"

Harry's eyes widened. He wasn't sure what surprised him more, that their trip outside went unnoticed or that –

At this moment, several parts of his memory finally clicked together and realization struck. _Florence Fortescue. _The_ Florence Fortescue. One of his mother's best friends he discussed with Remus only a couple of days ago!.. The surprises of this day just don't seem to end… Wait, what other surprises?_

He felt he really needed to get alone and fully recall all events of today. While he was surfing through the haziness of his memory, Florence suddenly stepped forward and gently hugged Luna, surprising the others. The blonde girl just smiled. Remus coughed however.

"Would you mind answering a question or two before getting close to our young charges? Nothing personal, just making sure," he noticed with slight edge.

"This is really Aunt Florence, I know it!" Luna protested.

"Then asking her wouldn't hurt," he countered. Thinking for a few moments, Lupin smiled.

"What event caused you to hex Sirius in our sixth year in Hogwarts, which cost our Houses the House Cup?" Florence reddened, releasing Luna and fighting the urge to raise her wand.

"Watch it, Lupin, or I might test this hex again. Unless you don't mind lacking certain bits."

The man nodded in satisfaction, corners of his mouth betraying his mirth. "It's her all right." Fortescue just snorted. Harry took it as a sign that it was safe to approach, while Hermione was more uncertain about the visitor and hesitated. He was taken by surprise however, when Florence hugged him as well.

"I'm glad to finally meet you properly, Harry," she quietly spoke. He thought there was a trace of tenderness in her voice. As she released him, he stepped back, looking around. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were obviously surprised at the display. Remus, not so much. He however stared at him for a moment, taking a slight sniff at the air. Harry remembered Xavia and her similar reaction. _Here we go again…_

"Harry," he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Is it just me, or do I smell something I really shouldn't?"

"What is it?" Harry tried playing dumb, inwardly despairing. At this rate there will be no way to hide their encounter outside and the fact that they sneaked out in the first place…

Lupin stepped closer to take in the scent better. There could be no mistake.

"A werewolf. _Another_ werewolf. A _female_ werewolf, to be precise," he muttered in disbelief. Behind him, Hermione gasped. Florence however was quick to respond.

"Oh, that would be me. That is to say, I've met one acquaintance of mine shortly before coming here," she plainly explained, neglecting to mention that they became acquainted with Xavia equally recently. "The scent must've transferred to Harry just now."

The werewolf raised his eyebrows before sniffing the air near Luna and her as well. Apparently it alleviated his suspicions. "Oh, I see. An interesting circle of friends you've got, nowadays…"

"Who should be speaking?" she snorted, covertly shooting Harry a look which almost seemed to be saying: _you owe me_.

* * *

While adults continued settling the matter of Fortescue's temporary placement, Harry quietly retreated upstairs, making sure to avoid Hermione, at least until he found some plausible answers for her. He easily recalled the earlier events, like discussing his Voldemort vision in the morning, their interesting visit to Grimmauld Place, and his confidential talks with Luna. However the ending point was the moment when Luna touched his forehead out in the forest clearing. Next thing he could remember clearly, was him waking up and his confrontation with Xavia. Attempts to remember what happened in between quickly gave him a severe headache. _So much for 'metaphysical world'_, he thought in chagrin. _What's the point if I can't remember anything?_

Just then the door opened and Luna peeked inside, probably looking for someone.

"Oh, sorry, Harry. I was looking for Neville. Aunt Florence would love to meet him too, I'm sure."

She made a motion to leave, but Harry stopped her.

"Luna, wait," he hesitated for a moment, trying to phrase his question. "About what happened outside…"

"Don't worry. No one has noticed anything," she reassured him. "Well, Aunt Florence did, but she's not going to tell. Though she might want an explanation from you later."

"It's not that," he mumbled. "It's… you see…"

"Ah, that. It's okay," she replied airily. "I know you were only trying to protect me."

"No!" he rubbed his forehead in frustration. "What I mean is…" he made a really vague gesture, trying to get his point across, even though he didn't completely understand it himself.

"Oh," her expression became more serious and sympathetic. "Well, they say the first time always hurts a little…"

Harry blinked several times, perplexed. _What does it have to do with anything? _he wondered, valiantly fighting a creeping blush as his mind went in overdrive trying to decrypt the meaning behind the statement. _We didn't even –_

"…but travels to Eden's antechamber become easier with each further visit… Now I need to go find Neville, Harry. We'll be downstairs with Aunt Florence. Oh," she suddenly remembered something. "And you should probably talk to Ginny. She seems to be upset with you."

As she left the room, he felt like banging his head on something hard. A train of thoughts such as this was completely out of character for him. And about Luna no less. Now, about Ginny –

Luna's last phrase flashed through his mind once more. He groaned.

Yet one more problem to resolve. He thought about Ginny's possible reaction should she ever learn about his latest venture with Luna, and shuddered. Sure, he liked her a lot, but her attitude concerning being left out of their risky endeavors was starting to worry him. Now that he thought of it, he suddenly realized that demanding to be taken into action just for the sake of involvement was more than a little immature. One thought leading to another, he realized ashamedly that this must be how he looked to Remus and Moody earlier today.

Deciding to seriously consider it later, he headed to find his friends and to find out more about his mother's old friend. By the time he got there Luna had already located Neville, and the both were in a conversation with the black-haired woman.

"But why did you come back so suddenly, uh, Aunt Florence?" Neville was asking shyly, uncertain how to behave around the woman.

"The time has come," Fortescue answered simply. "Staying away any longer was not an option. This Lord Voldemoron –"

Neville hiccupped in mild shock and even Harry's eyes widened at her boldness.

"–and his followers have gone too far. The evil must be punished!"

"To me it seems more important to restore and protect the good," Luna spoke softly. Florence seemed flustered for a moment.

"Well, this too. I admit, with my knowledge of the general situation in this country largely out of date..."

Harry approached them, Luna naturally noticing him first. He tried to get a grip on himself.

"Eh, hello, Ms. Fortescue –?"

"To you, Harry, Aunt Florence," she corrected. "If you want to, that is."

"Thank you… Aunt Florence," the wording sounded slightly alien to him, making him think of Aunt Petunia and Aunt Marge. And cringe at the memory of their likely fates. Florence raised an eyebrow, taking notice of his reaction.

"Hey, Harry," Neville turned to him, letting out his excitement. "Did you know, our mothers were good friends with Aunt Florence. And with Luna's mom too. I honestly didn't get to hear much about them before, though then again, Gran probably had her reasons…"

"I suppose this was partially my fault," Fortescue interrupted. "I actually met you when you were maybe two or three years old, but Augusta wasn't thrilled about my visit. I don't think it was anything personal, she just always seemed to be a little cautious of us Alice's friends. And considering what happened to Alice and Frank…" she didn't finish her sentence.

"At least you could visit us freely," Luna noticed. Florence grimaced, remembering how she happened to be in a faraway country when Annabelle performed her last experiment. Harry then turned to her with some of his own rather pressing questions.

"And how come I never even heard of you before very recently? No offense," he hurriedly added. "Just, since you were Mum's friend too…"

She sighed. "You were rather tricky to reach most of time, Harry. Well, there were some _special_ ways to locate you anyhow," her eyes shifted to Luna momentarily, "but I never got them right until now. And I was never close with your father's friends so I doubt many would readily remember me. I half expected Remus to ask me outright just who am I anyway."

Harry nodded, understanding. Then Neville piped up impatiently: "Please, can you tell us more about your friendship with our mothers?"

The woman relaxed slightly, reminiscing about good old times.

"We started off right in our first year at Hogwarts. Annabelle was one of my first friends, you see, and I didn't have a lot in my House. It might've been different if I was sorted in Hufflepuff, but we'll never know now. Anyway, Annabelle's open-mindedness put off the rest of our roommates, and Florean, Light bless his soul, was a bit paranoid about my circle of friends when it came to boys, so we turned to people in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The Slytherins would've never accepted us, since I'm a half-blood and Annabelle… well, it's not my story to tell," she looked at Luna apologetically before continuing, "and so, we came upon Lily and Alice, who instantly accepted us. Once we got to know them, things went uphill from there. Alice never hesitated to interfere when Avery or Rosier tried to pick on us or when Sirius and James got carried away. And Lily was very smart and open-minded for a Scout of Magic –"

"For a what?" Harry was raptly listening right until hearing this unfamiliar term which has caught his attention. Florence blinked, startled. Remembering whom she was talking to, she quickly corrected herself.

"Muggleborn. I've been using this term for Muggleborns for a long time. Our… uh, my mentor used to tell us about some faraway, obscure culture where wizards and Muggles freely interacted, and Muggleborn wizards and witches were hailed as Scouts of Magic, since they were exploring magic and its possibilities on behalf of non-magical people…"

She trailed off, sensing that continuing might lead to some unlikely questions, and turned back to the previous topic.

"So, the four of us became rather close, having found friends to rely on and a common set of interests. As time went by, members of our little coven busied themselves with strengthening bonds between us and deepening our knowledge of magic and its principles. Annabelle was the main generator of ideas, while Lily was the voice of reason, denouncing those of them that were too farfetched. Alice was the one of action, perhaps the most rash in the group..."

"And you?" Neville couldn't help himself, fascinated by the story.

The woman shrugged. "A bit of this, a bit of that... Not much to talk about," she replied modestly.

* * *

**Explanation**:  
Term 'Scout of Magic' and corresponding society come from my HP-themed dream. I wasn't borrowing anyone's ideas on this.

A/N: That's it for now. But there'll be more to come, both for this chapter and a story. That's a promise.


End file.
